


Threshold

by vixensheart



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Accidental Relationship, Alternate Canon, Canon Compliant up to Season Seven, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff and Humor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-20
Updated: 2019-01-22
Packaged: 2019-06-29 22:29:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 21,939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15738597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vixensheart/pseuds/vixensheart
Summary: In which Lance gifts Allura a ring, she puts it on her left hand's ring finger, and shenanigans ensue.





	1. The Ring

He didn’t really think this through.

 

Lance realized that, now. Of course, now he was about two-thousand gack poorer. But while strolling through the quiet, cluttered aisles of an old, space antique store, a certain display case caught his eye. He was there with Coran, looking for some Altean relic that was apparently supposed to help with boosting the lions’ charge. This was the fifth place they’d stopped in the past three vargas, with no luck yet. Lance had strolled along behind Coran, only half listening to his ramblings about the origin of the unfamiliar tech, when he’d seen it.

 

It was a jewelry display.

 

Immediately, the glittering jewels reminded him of Allura. Lance never forgot the gleam in her eyes when he’d offered her something sparkly; she’d just...lit up in a way that made his insides sing. He looked out for anything sparkly he could get his hands on since, hoping to see her light up like that again. So of course, seeing the jewelry case had him grinding to a halt to stare.

 

A lot of the pieces were unfamiliar and downright outlandish. He couldn’t even begin to ascertain the practical uses for most of the bizarre trinkets. Chains, and gems, and oblong, twisted pieces of unknown precious metals decorated the case. The jewels glittered with varying hues and intensities, and it was enough to make him feel slightly dizzy. Lance stepped closer as though entranced, his feet seemingly moving on their own accord. It was then that he saw it.

 

A ring.

 

It was golden, with inlaid stones all around. In the middle sat a well cut pink gemstone, shaped like a heart. Lance knew instantly that he had to get that ring. He whirled around and all but sprinted through the cluttered aisles, in search of an employee.

 

The shop was a chaotic mess, for better lack of a term. Random, alien objects were stacked on shelves and atop each other, collecting dust and what looked to be cobwebs. Of course, given the lack of earthen spiders, Lance couldn’t have been too sure. Perhaps there were spider-like creepy-crawlies in space. Either way, maneuvering around the various knick-knacks and decorative things was a task in itself. He somehow managed to blunder his way through the mess and found the front counter, where a bipedal alien sat polishing what looked to be a bowl.

 

“Hello,” Lance chirped. The alien blinked down at him, their four eyes narrowing inquisitively. He wasn’t sure which species this one was; as far as Lance could remember, they hadn’t encountered this alien’s kind before.

 

“What do you want?” Their voice was garbled and nearly indecipherable. It took Lance a good minute to process what had been said. He grinned, nervous, and gestured to the general direction of the jewelry case.

 

“There’s a ring I’m interested in purchasing...how much is it?”

 

Lance couldn’t tell if the clerk was frowning or not. Their face was strange looking; weird barbels covered where he’d imagine a mouth would be. Despite this, they skewered him with a rather scathing look and rose slowly. “You have money, yes?”

 

He gulped. Hands in his pockets, Lance fingered the fancy glass card, loaded with an unknown number of gack. It was originally a gift Lotor had given all the paladins; money to spend in the galran empire. A peace offering, supposedly. He hadn’t cared to use it then, but now with the ring on his mind, he hoped that the money was still there. “Y-yeah, of course.”

 

The clerk rose slowly and lumbered towards the display case without another word. Lance sucked in a breath and followed behind, trying not to stare at their strange, tentacled feet. They arrived at the case before Lance, and were already pulling the ring out and onto the glass counter. Lance gawked, admiring how the jewels glittered in the light.

 

Allura was going to _love_ this.

 

“Two-thousand gack,” the alien said. Lance didn’t even think twice before throwing his empire-issued card onto the counter. The clerk blinked all four eyes lazily and grabbed it with their too-big hands, shuffling to a recess in the wall. Lance heard a few clicks and a beep, and within seconds the card was being pressed back into his open palm, along with a velvety ring box.

 

“Thank you,” they garbled, before shuffling away. Lance was left staring at the box in a daze. Did he really just buy this? It certainly seemed that way. A dull thread of excitement laced through him, and he pocketed his new prize with a grin.

 

“Oh, Lance, there you are!” Coran emerged from around a corner, laden with an armload of odds and ends. “Would you mind helping me carry these?”

 

He patted his pocket on instinct, satisfied that the present was tucked securely there, before swiping the top half of Coran’s armload with a chuckle. “Dude, Coran, do we really need all of this?”

 

Coran scoffed. “Yes, of course!” He launched into a lengthy explanation, which Lance promptly tuned most of out.

 

**~#~#~#~**

  


Lance had no idea what he was doing.

 

Back at camp, reality seemed to settle over him and what exactly he had done. He had bought a ring. A _ring_ . As much as Lance tried to convince himself that it didn’t matter-Allura came from a completely different _planet_ after all, her culture had to have different traditions in that respect-he couldn’t help the panic brewing inside of him. He paced beside Red, fiddling with the box as he pondered how to proceed.

 

Could he really just give it to her, and omit the earthly implications?

 

“Lance?”

 

He yelped, nearly falling to the ground as he twisted around. When his gaze landed on Allura, he sagged with relief, scowling despite her amusement. “You scared the dickens out of me!” he grumbled.

 

Allura clapped a hand over her mouth, clearly trying to suppress a giggle. “I apologize,” she said. “I didn’t mean to startle you.” Her gaze drifted to his hands, and her brows raised. “What is that you’re holding?”

 

Lance felt his face grow hot. He dropped his gaze, feeling suddenly shy. “Oh, uh...it’s a present.”

 

“Oh. For who?”

 

Instead of answering, Lance jerked his hand out and offered her the box. Allura took it, her eyes bright with curiosity. He swallowed, his chest tight. Nerves spiked his veins and he felt jittery. What if he was wrong, and she hated it? What if she thought it was something it wasn’t?

 

_What if, what if?_

 

He watched, terrified, as Allura opened the box. “I, uh, found that while Coran was looking for that...thing, and I thought you’d like it…” Lance trailed off. Allura’s eyes went wide as she peered inside, an awed look caressing her features.

 

“Lance...this is beautiful.” She met his gaze, her eyes shining. “How in the stars did you manage to afford this?”

 

He shrugged, bashful. Allura stared at the box, a mixture of emotions swirling in those starry eyes of hers. For possibly the millionth time, Lance was struck with just how beautiful she was. In the low light, her cheek marks glowed against her russet colored skin. He could see the refractions of the jewels dimpling her cheeks and curved lips, and Lance felt his heart skip a beat.

 

“I can’t possibly accept this,” Allura said. She cradled the box close, her expression mournful. Almost regretfully, she tried to give it back, but Lance refused, shaking his head wildly.

 

“No, no, it’s okay! It’s just a ring. I just thought that well, you always liked sparkly things and...it’s nothing, really!”

 

Allura frowned, but a frantic shout from the middle of camp interrupted them, and the subject dropped. The two of them dashed back to their friends, bayards already in hand. They skidded to a halt in the middle of their camp, both pausing to take in the scene. Coran was splayed out on the ground near some...contraption, looking rather dazed. Pidge and Hunk kneeled on either side of him, muttering to each other. Everyone else looked rather unharmed, just sharing baffled stares.

 

“You guys okay?” Lance asked. “We heard a yell.”

 

Pidge huffed, adjusting her glasses. “Yeah, we’re fine. Coran just electrocuted himself a bit, but he’s okay.”

 

The Altean in question raised his arm to give them all a thumbs up, before sitting up with a groan. Allura released her bayard with a flash and hurried to his side, helping him stand. Lance followed suit, eyeing their project with idle curiosity. “Is that the thing to charge the lions, or whatever?”

 

“Yeah,” Hunk said, “we almost have it figured out. Almost.”

 

Lance nodded. He reached forward with his foot and nudged it, ignoring Hunk’s pointed glare. It was a strange looking thing. Wires looped and twisted all around a series of metallic plates, connecting them to some massive chunk of crystal. Lance thought he recognized a bit of solar panel, too, but he wasn’t sure. How exactly this was supposed to work was anyone’s guess. It didn’t particularly matter to him, anyway; that wasn’t his department.

 

“I’m fine, Allura, really.” Coran stood, looking wobbly. He gently shrugged Allura off and squared his shoulders. “Well, come on, then, let’s give it another go.”

 

“Actually, we should probably pack it in, for now,” Keith said. He stood from across the campfire, stretching. “We’ve got a lot of space to cover. We should get some rest.”

 

This was true. By Coran’s and Pidge’s estimates, it would take...a few years to cross the amount of space they needed to cross. Lance didn’t want to think about it. No one did, really. Instead, there was a chorus of murmured agreements as everyone stood and began meandering back to the lions.

 

Lance’s gaze instinctively sought out Allura’s, and he was met with the swirling galaxies hidden within those iridescent eyes. His heart thudded in his chest. She smiled, and Lance saw the box still cradled in her hands. The sight made him feel warm inside, and he drifted back to Red as though in a dream.

  


**~#~#~#~**

  


Allura hated sitting.

 

They had done so much sitting since they began their journey to Earth. Sitting, sitting, and _more_ sitting. After all, she couldn’t very well take her attention off her lion. Blue could pilot on auto for awhile, but she preferred to fly with her paladin present and focused. So Allura sat. And sat, and sat, and _sat_. Her muscles were sore and cramped from sitting for so long, and she was certain she had so many knots and kinks in various places.

 

She watched stars whiz by and sighed. Romelle was flying with her at the moment, and she and the mice had gone to sleep a few vargas ago. Which left Allura swathed in silence. She drummed her fingers on the controls idly, her gaze meandering about the cockpit. All the various screens and dials and knobs glowed a gentle blue, showcasing Blue’s energy levels, they’re estimated coordinates, speed, among other things. There wasn’t much exciting about the blinking lights, and Allura’s gaze wandered elsewhere.

 

At the edge of her vision sat a few of her trunks of belongings she’d managed to snag from the castle. A change of clothes, her nightgown, and a few other personal belongings near and dear to her. Atop the top trunk, sat the little velvet box containing the ring Lance had purchased for her. She reached for it, the velvet soft to the touch.

 

Even in the low light, the ring sparkled. The blue hue, combined with the pink gem, created speckles of purple light dappling the ceiling. She tipped and turned the box, watching how the purple dapples swirled about the cockpit. A smile warmed her lips. Oh, how she loved sparkles. Allura wasn’t quite sure _why_ she loved sparkly things. There was just something so...fascinating in how light refracted just so, creating a dazzling display on both the object and the things around it. She held the box up close, examining the ring nestled inside.

 

The velvet box was black, with a cushion matching the pink, heart-shaped gemstone that decorated the ring. The ring itself glittered and shimmered, the many little stones helping catch the light and make the golden band seem to glow. In short, the ring was breathtakingly beautiful.

 

Allura pulled the ring out of the safety of its cushion. The band was slender, much more so than she’d initially thought. It maintained a sense of grace, that way. A thicker band, she supposed, would have been too much.

 

She contemplated putting it on. Which hand did one wear rings like this? Allura wasn’t sure; rings weren’t a common accessory on Altea. People preferred earrings, for everyday use. For courtship, betrothal necklaces were the norm. Rings, however, were not something Allura remembered seeing much of. A few nobles, perhaps, had donned rings. But they were never quite this sparkly.

 

The question still remained. Which hand? Allura tilted her head, thinking. She used her right hand the most, so perhaps not that one. Otherwise, she’d risk knocking a gemstone out, and the thought made Allura’s heart squeeze.

 

Left hand it was, then.

 

Allura glanced at her hand, and with a shrug, slipped the ring onto the finger next to her pinky. Despite her suit, it fit perfectly, as thought it was meant to sit there. Her smile grew, and she felt content.

 

“What is that?”

 

Allura yelped, jumping in her seat. She twisted to see Romelle peering over her shoulder, her gaze latched onto the ring on Allura’s finger. Allura held a hand to her chest, trying to breathe. “I-it’s a ring,” she stammered. Romelle raised a brow, leaning so far over the pilot’s chair that Allura feared she’d tumble to the floor.

 

“Where did you get it?” Romelle asked. “I didn’t see that when I went through your luggage.”

 

Her jaw dropped, and Allura gawked at the fair-haired Altean. “You went through my-why would you do that?” she snapped.

 

Romelle shrugged, bashful. “I was curious.”

 

A thousand thoughts flew through her mind, many of them unpleasant. Allura forced herself to take a breath and clear her mind, lest she do something regrettable. She supposed she should have figured Romelle would do that; she had an insatiable sense of curiosity, after all. She distinctly remembered Lance whining about Romelle's never ending questions, coupled with her running all about Red's cockpit, pushing buttons and pulling levers. She'd calmed a bit since then, but Romelle's questions were always forthcoming. 

 

“This,” Allura said after a moment, “is a ring. Lance got it for me.”

 

Romelle’s brows furrowed as she scrutinized the ring, her blonde pigtail tickling Allura’s cheek. “It’s very sparkly,” she commented. Allura smiled.

 

“It is.”

 

Romelle turned to her, then, her features warming into a devious grin. “He certainly seems to favor you, y’know.” She draped herself dramatically around the pilot’s chair, her hair spilling onto Allura’s shoulder. “It was _all_ he talked about when I rode with him.”

 

Allura’s face heated immediately, and she blinked. “What do you mean?”

 

A peal of laughter rang out through the cockpit. “You, of course!” Romelle snorted, bemused.  “When I asked about you, he wouldn’t shut up! He went on, and on, and on. I feel like I know so much about you now.”

 

Her heart skittered in her chest. The mice’s revelation arose in her mind, and not for the first time she felt warm. “Did he, now?” she said absently.

 

Romelle bobbed her head. “Mm-hmm! He went on for at _least_ a whole Varga.” She launched into a detailed explanation of everything Lance babbled to her, and Allura listened, a sense of contentment welling up within her.

 

It was strange. When she first learned of Lance’s affections, she didn’t know how to feel. Everything was a confused mess; she’d been swept off her feet with handsome words and big titles and lucious hair. She thought that perhaps, she’d finally get that romance she once dreamed of, long ago. And yet…

 

That night, Allura had hardly slept. She dreamed of Lance. She dreamed of his wild, crazy, outlandish flirtations, but this time, she saw the little snippets she’d previously missed. Those long, tender glances from afar, that had her mind spinning. The thought of hurting Lance pained her more than anything. How could she let him down easy, and not break his heart? Allura didn’t know. But then, everything imploded, and Lotor betrayed them all.

 

And now, they were here, out in the middle of space, missing a castle and heading for Earth. Now, Lotor’s betrayal felt eons away, and Lance and his affections made her feel warm.

 

**~#~#~#~**

  


They didn’t stop for a few quintents. Time was suspended in a blur of galaxies; Allura only knew how long they’d been flying due to the counter on her screen. Between the moment their alarms sounded to get up and when they all shuffled to their bunks for a rest, the time seemed sluggish. Allura couldn’t distinguish between what happened when; they did drills, talked strategies, talked, played stupid road trip games that Allura _swore_ Lance was cheating on. She couldn’t distinguish the passing quintents any more than she could distinguish the differing galaxies. Sure, Coran named them off, and sure, the time changed on her clock, but it felt meaningless to Allura.

 

So when the lions’ precious energy was low, and Keith finally announced that they should take a short pitstop, relief swathed her like a blanket.

 

They stopped on a moon to a nearby planet; it was easiest to avoid detection, that way. With the Galran empire splintered into volatile fractions, going to unfamiliar planets in their crippled state was dangerous. What little power their lions could accumulate in their brief stops needed to be saved for their journey, as well as any emergencies. Avoiding conflict as much as possible was key.

 

“Ugh.” Allura stretched, relishing in the ability to stand on her tippy-toes with her hands outstretched above her. Blue crouched behind her, their bond already thrumming with more energy. The sensation brought a smile to her lips. She continued to stretch with a renewed vigor, feeling content.

 

“Allura!” Romelle’s chipper tone cut into the silence. “Whatcha doing?”

 

“Stretching. I feel like a stiff board from sitting so much.”

 

She hummed, tilting her head. “Yes, it’s rather nice being able to move about more.” Romelle watched Allura for a moment before beginning to copy her movements. “Oh, this is nice!” she chirped. At this, Allura grinned. She lead the way through the next few stretches, her muscles feeling loose and limber. Romelle’s eccentric poses only helped to lighten the mood, making Allura giggle.

 

They powered on for another few dobashes, before stopping to wander towards the middle of camp.

 

Typically, whenever they made stops, the five of them would park their lions in a semicircle, allowing for some protection. Coran usually set up a fire in the middle, where Hunk often made a variety of what he coined ‘campfire dinners’. Sometimes Keith and Shiro would recon the area they stopped on, sometimes not. Often, they splintered into groups to spar, as Keith felt it was good to keep in tip top fighting condition, just in case.

 

Allura plopped down onto a box beside Pidge, breathing a sigh. The fire was already roaring, and Coran and Hunk were tinkering about, prepping some meal or another. Romelle skipped to Coran’s side, no doubt attempting to sneak a bite or two of whatever they were cooking.

 

“Just another year and three hundred and sixty days,” Pidge muttered. Allura hummed, tucking her chin onto her hands.

 

“Where’s Lance?”

 

Pidge shrugged, gesturing listlessly. “With Keith and Shiro. They wanted to train, or something.” She shifted, sighing heavily. “I just want to eat, and sleep.”

 

Allura couldn’t agree more. She sighed, her eyelids already feeling heavy. “I feel as though I could run a marathon, or sleep for another decapheeb.” It was strange, really, how tired she was, despite sitting so much. Typically, flying was both physically and mentally demanding; performing twists and turns and flips and tearing ships with Blue’s metal jaws took a lot out of her. Not to mention dodging enemy fire and forming Voltron over and over again left her limbs shaking and so exhausted she felt dead on her feet. Allura supposed that this time, it was more that flying through endless space was emotionally taxing, sucking out their energy that way.

 

“Yeah,” Pidge said, “except I’m really bad at running.” She turned to Allura, mouth open to say more, only to seemingly freeze in place. Allura’s brows furrowed as the silence expanded, ticks giving way into a full dobash. Pidge’s expression morphed from confusion into shock, and she leaned so far forward she nearly fell onto her face. “Allura…” she said, faintly, “what is that?”

 

Allura frowned. “What is what?”

 

“That! On your finger!” She pointed, almost frantic. Allura raised a brow and looked at her hands. At first, she thought Pidge had gone mad, but the distinct gleam caught her gaze, and Allura blinked down at her ring.

 

“Oh, this?” She held up her left hand, wiggling the ring finger. Pidge nodded so hard, her glasses nearly fell off. Allura stifled a laugh and shrugged. “It’s a ring. Lance got it for me.”

 

Pidge gaped at her. “Lance...got you a ring. That you’re wearing. On _that_ finger.”

 

She pursed her lips, baffled. “...yes, that’s correct. Is there...something wrong?” Her bafflement grew as Pidge seemed to _glitch_. She watched the younger girl stare off into space, slack jawed. It was slightly unnerving, and Allura feared she’d done something egregiously wrong. She scooted closer, daring to poke Pidge on the shoulder. “Pidge?”

 

Life resumed within Pidge, and she shook herself. She snatched Allura’s hand, twisting it this way and that as she inspected the ring. “You do know what this means, right?”

 

Allura shook her head, utterly confused. “No, I can’t say that I do.”

 

She looked up, her glasses sliding down the bridge of her nose in a way that Allura would normally find comical. This time, however, it lent to the serious expression etched into her features. “This is an engagement ring. A-kay-a the ring used in marriage proposals.”

 

Allura blinked. She pried her hand free with delicacy, her gaze locked on the ring. An engagement ring, as Pidge said. An Earthly tradition, no doubt. A slew of emotions reared within her, not one decipherable from the next. “Oh,” she said. Pidge nodded sagely.

 

“Yeah. By wearing this ring, you’re saying that you and Lance are _engaged_.”

 


	2. Not-So-Engaged

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Lance makes a critical error, and the resulting fallout ensues.

A breeze hit his cheek, accompanied by a whistle as Keith’s sword narrowly missed clipping him. Lance rolled, using his momentum to launch himself back onto his feet. He fired off a few blasts, trying to get Keith off his back, before breaking out into a run. A rock outcropping caught his attention and he loped towards it.  

 

He twisted, aiming to fire a few rounds, only for the black sword to enter his line of sight. Lance cursed and spun. He ducked and dodged and weaved, doing what he could to evade the blur of black. Frustration built inside him. He tried to fire off a shot or two, but his rifle was basically useless in such close range. Keith dodged his shots with ease, stepping so lightly he was practically dancing. He swung, his sword nearly biting into Lance’s arm. Lance growled, his irritation mounting until it came to a head. In a brilliant flash of blue light, his bayard shifted. 

 

Lance twirled, meeting Keith’s sword with his own blade. A clang rang out, and Lance got the distinct pleasure of witnessing the utter shock plastered on Keith’s face. The distraction was enough that he had an opening. He shoved Keith back, making him stumble, and with a powerful swipe, knocked Keith’s sword out of his hands and onto the dirt. Panting, Keith gaped at him. “Whoa.” 

 

“Nice job, Lance,” Shiro called. He was off to the side, observing. Playing referee, as it were. Still, the praise made Lance blush, and he shrugged bashfully. 

 

“Thanks, though I sort of got lucky.” 

 

Keith’s stare morphed into one of utter bewilderment, and his mouth hung open so wide, Lance feared he’d eat a fly, or something. Lance’s face grew hotter, and scowled. “What?” 

 

“What do you mean, what?” Keith stammered. “You pull out a sword and beat me like it’s nothing, and call yourself _ lucky _ . Lance...that was impressive.” He stepped closer, gaze locked on the sword. “This is nice, too.” Keith reached out and plucked the sword from Lance’s grasp, running a hand along the blade. “It’s pretty heavy.” 

 

Lance raised a brow. “Yeah, I guess? I mean, it feels fine to me…” He trailed off with a shrug. The bayard flashed red, returning to its natural state. It was...strange, to wield a sword. Sure, Lance lowkey loved how badass he felt, swinging it around. It was like he was living out his childhood fantasy. He’d always dreamed he’d be the knight in shining armor, riding up on a fancy steed and saving the day with his fancy sword. Of course, life wasn’t a fairytale, and Lance was starting to realize there was more to being a hero than riding a horse and weilding a sword. 

 

He wasn’t Keith, after all. Give him a gun, and Lance could pick off any enemy, no matter how dire the situation. He flourished as a sniper and sharpshooter, and he flourished helping support his team, on the battlefield and off. So as much as he dug the sword, he couldn’t help but feel a little out of his element. 

 

In some ways, the sword felt like an extension of himself. It didn’t feel too heavy or large; it fit in his hands as though it was made for him. Which, in a way, it was. At the same time, the fighting style accompanied with the sword was all new, so winning this practice round really was pure luck. In a fair fight, Lance knew Keith could gut him with ease. This time, he just had the element of surprise on his side, and that had proved to be an advantage. 

 

“I’ve never seen you use this bayard form before,” Shiro said. He beamed at Lance, pride evident in his expression. Lance shuffled his feet, feeling once again bashful. 

 

“Yeah, it’s still sort of new,” he said. “Allura said it’s an Altean broadsword.” He shrugged. “I’m still not really sure how I unlocked it.” 

 

Keith held out the bayard, a loose grin on his lips. “Regardless, next time, I’m gonna kick your ass.” 

 

Lance took his bayard back with a snort. “Oh, it’s on, mullet.” 

 

“Alright, you two,” Shiro said, his voice colored with amusement, “save it for later. Let’s go see what Coran and Hunk cooked up for dinner.” He clapped Lance on the back, nearly tipping him off his feet, and started off towards the lions. Lance teetered, regaining his balance, and followed. 

 

The three of them had wandered off a ways to find a relatively flat area to spar and train. Their moon of choice was rather lumpy, so to speak, riddled with craters and weirdly misshapen hills. It took a bit of concentration to walk and not twist an ankle; Lance was glad for his armor’s ankle support. Without it, knowing his luck, he’d have probably broken his by now. 

 

A brief glance skyward had Lance feeling breathless. There was little in the way of artificial light here, so the stardust and stars were on brilliant display. The utter vastness of the twinkling galaxies around them made Lance feel oh so very small. He sucked in a breath, rocking on his heels as he stared upwards. Truth be told, Lance could probably stare up at the stars all day. But his stomach grumbled, spurring him to tear his gaze away from the heavens and forge onwards after his companions. 

 

While Lance still missed home so much thinking about it made his heart ache, his only real regret was not getting to say a proper ‘goodbye’ to his family before taking off to the stars. Still, while he was excited to see his family and the Earth again, Lance knew deep down that there was nowhere he’d rather be than here, with his friends and team, saving the universe. 

 

The smell of something simmering mingled with the smoke and tickled Lance’s nose. His stomach grumbled and his mouth watered. Whatever Hunk and Coran were making smelled  _ amazing _ . He jogged to catch up to Shiro and Keith, eager to eat. 

 

“What’s for dinner?” Shiro asked. 

 

Hunk grinned, shrugging. “Some stew Coran and I made. We had some leftover mystery meat in the cargo hold, and thought we’d put it to good use.” 

 

Lance scrunched up his nose. “Uh, Hunk, buddy, could you  _ not _ call it mystery meat? I actually want to eat it, y’know.” 

 

Hunk let out a huff. “Hey, man, I make what I can from what we have!” He waved about his wooden ladle for emphasis, splattering some of the stew onto Coran. Lance bit back a snort. It was true, he supposed; they didn’t actually have much in the way of food. The castle always synthesized goo specially made for whatever organisms ate it; thanks to the properties of science and magic, they could always eat goop that managed to meet all their nutritional requirements. Of course, the castle was gone, and so was the magic goop. So they relied on getting creative with whatever they’d managed to scrounge up from the castle’s corners, as well as whatever they’d acquired from their various stops. 

 

Still. Lance wasn’t fond of the idea of mystery meat. Too many brushes with death in the Garrison’s cafeteria had made him weary of such a thing. 

 

“Lance!”

 

Pidge’s voice snapped his attention to across the fire. She stood, Allura seated next to her. There was a shell-shocked expression painted on the princess’s delicate features, contrasting Pidge’s fire-lit scowl. She marched around the fire, pushing past a baffled Hunk and planting herself in front of Lance. “You gave Allura an engagement ring, and didn’t tell her what it was?” 

 

His heart dropped like a boulder, crashing into the depths of his stomach. “W-what?” 

 

Her scowl deepened. “You are so dense,” she muttered, poking him in the breastplate. Pidge snatched his wrist and dragged him over to Allura. He stumbled behind her like a lamb to the slaughter, his gaze cutting to Allura’s. She stared at him wide-eyed, perched on her seat as though ready to flee. 

 

Pidge yanked him forward, practically shoving him down onto the seat beside Allura. Lance winced as he collapsed onto the box. His bum throbbed, and he bit back a whine, suddenly aware of the silence permeating the camp. Everyone stared at him, jaws agape and confusion knit on their brows. Heat burned at his cheeks, and Lance gulped. Pidge towered over him, sharp shadows cutting her scowl into something much more fierce. Her wild hair was lit by a halo of firelight, and fear gripped Lance’s heart. “Pidge?” he squeaked. She said nothing, instead reaching to Allura and grasping her left wrist. She tugged Allura’s arm, making the princess hold up her hand. There, on her ring finger, glittered the ring. 

 

For a brief moment, Lance’s heart seemed to stop. 

 

“Explain!” Pidge snapped. 

 

“I…” 

 

“Oh my gosh,” Hunk crowed, “you and Allura are _ engaged? _ ” He clasped his face with his hands, his expression gleaming with awe. Lance blinked. 

 

“Uh-”

 

Coran bounded over, sweeping them both into an enthusiastic hug. “Oh, quiznack! I had no idea! I mean, well, I had an idea, but I had no idea you actually did it! Oh, Allura, your father would be so proud.” He squeezed them as he spoke, making breathing difficult. Allura’s knee brushed against his, and stars danced across his vision. He squirmed, trying to break free. 

 

“Coran, please-” 

 

“I knew it! You know, Lance talked about Allura for a whole quintent,” Romelle said. 

 

“How long has this been going on?” Keith asked. “I didn’t know they were uh...a thing.”

 

Hunk tsked. “Of course you didn’t.”

 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” 

 

“Nothing, nothing!” 

 

Coran gave them another squeeze before pulling back, tears shimmering in his eyes. “Oh, my little Allura is all grown up.” He clapped Lance on the shoulder, his grin widening. “And Lance, my ‘ole boy, I’m proud of you!” 

 

Lance sucked in a breath. He scrambled free of Coran, the universe spinning around him. “I’m, uh, gonna eat in my lion.” Lance darted towards the safety of Red, running away from the burning questions bouncing all around him. 

 

“Lance, wait!” Allura’s voice rang out in his ears, but Lance couldn’t find it in him to stop. He ran, his feet pounding the dirt until he was inside Red’s hangar, his companion’s voices muted by a layer of thick steel. 

 

He leaned against the wall, sliding down to the floor. Lance let his head thump against Red and breathed a sigh. 

 

What had he gotten himself into?

 

**~#~#~#~**   


  
  


Allura stared at the wall. She twisted the ring absently on her finger, the smooth metal warm from the friction. The sensation was oddly reassuring; a reminder that she was here on Blue and not lost in the depths of her mind. 

 

And lost she nearly was. On her hand was a ring intended for a promise of marriage; that in and of itself was enough to make her head spin. Lance’s reaction when Pidge had confronted him didn’t help. Worse, yet, was how _ confused _ she felt about the whole thing. It was like a fog had settled around her, muting and concealing everything. Allura sighed. Why were boys so confusing? Why were _ feelings _ so confusing?

 

She couldn’t for the life of her figure out why Lance sprinting away like there was fire on his heels bothered her. It shouldn’t have. She wasn’t in love with him, and they weren’t actually engaged, right? 

 

The ring felt hot on her finger, and Allura looked down at it. When she’d changed into her nightgown, she’d taken it off. At first, it was a relief to rid herself of the weight of such a ring. But...her hand felt strangely naked without it, and Allura had slipped it back on almost immediately after she’d changed. She wasn’t sure why, really. It was stupid. At the very least, she knew she should switch fingers, if not hands. And yet…

 

“Here, you forgot to take a bowl.” Romelle’s voice echoed through the cockpit, and Allura blinked as a bowl of piping hot stew was thrust into her hands. “Eat up, you’ll feel much better with some food in you.” 

 

Allura forced a smile. “Thank you, Romelle, but I’m not very hungry.” 

 

Romelle cocked her head. “Well, you can’t just sit there and pout all night.” She plopped herself in front of Allura, poking her in the knee. “Come on, talk. What’s on your mind? This is about Lance, isn’t it?” 

 

Allura’s smile turned rueful. “Is it that obvious?” This earned her a shrug. 

 

“I mean, he gives you a ring that on Earth is the equivalent of a marriage proposal, and then runs and hides when asked about it. I’d probably be upset about it, too.” Romelle hugged her knees, peering up at Allura with a soft look. “You’re still wearing it, too.” 

 

Allura paused in her fiddling. She looked at her hands, admiring the shimmering ring in the cool blue light. “Yes...I can’t seem to part with it.” 

 

“Why not?” 

 

“I don’t...I don’t know.” Allura chuckled, shaking her head. “It’s silly, isn’t it?”  

 

Romelle shook her head, her pig-tails whipping back and forth. “No, it’s not silly,” she said. “How you feel is never silly, it just is. It’s what you  _ do _ with how you feel that matters. And sitting here and pouting probably won’t help much with anything.” She shrugged nonchalantly as she spoke, as though her wisdom was nothing more than talk of the weather. Allura couldn’t help but laugh. 

 

“Thank you, Romelle,” she said. Allura’s grin faded, and her gaze dropped to the steaming bowl of stew. “You’re right, you know.” She stirred the stew, the savory smell wafting up to her nose and making her mouth water. “Sitting and pouting won’t help with anything.” Allura raised the stew and tucked in, much to her companion’s delight. The stew was rather delicious; Hunk had outdone himself yet again. She’d have to remember to thank him later. 

 

Right after she and Lance had a little...chat. 

 

**~#~#~#~**   


  
  


Ugh. 

 

A simple grunt of a noise it was, but it currently summed up the depths of Lance’s emotions at the moment. Just... _ ugh _ . 

 

It had been three quintents since he’d run from everyone. Three quintents since he’d shut himself in Red and ignored all pleading over the comms. Literally everyone tried their hand at speaking with him. Coran had tried first; promising to tell him a story of an adventure with Alfore, something Lance admittedly loved to hear from the older Altean. Hunk had tried next, using food as his bargaining chip. Sure, homemade almost guac sounded  _ amazing _ , but Lance had zero desire to discuss his idiocy. 

 

Pidge tried to bribe him with a video game, Romelle had just chattered for an hour, and Allura hadn’t so much as spoken. 

 

Lance wasn’t sure if that made it worse or not. 

 

It was his fault in the first place, he knew. But not hearing her velvet voice over the comms made his heart twist in a weird way that he didn’t like. Usually Allura would join him for a game of I-spy to pass the time, something everyone else groaned at. Lance didn’t bring it up, and neither did she. 

 

The realization made it hard to breathe. 

 

“So, Lance…” Keith’s voice crackled in his ear, and Lance bit back a sigh. He grunted, issuing a glare at the controls. He knew Keith couldn’t see his face, but he glared nonetheless. 

 

“You wanna play a game?” 

 

Keith’s request was so absurd that Lance had to bite back a snort. Keith didn’t do games, especially not roadtrip games. That fact was probably the first thing Lance had discovered when they began the trek back to Earth. He’d eagerly demanded they play I-spy, much to Keith’s ire. It was the birth of his and Allura’s little daily tradition, and Keith  _ always _ whined about it. 

 

Damn. They must be really desperate to get him to talk. 

 

“No thanks,” he muttered. He could practically  _ hear _ mullet boy frown. 

 

“You sure, Lance?” Pidge piped. “We’ll all play.” 

 

“Yeah,” Hunk said, “it’ll be so fun. I’m like, the I-spy king.” 

 

Lance shook his head, out of habit, really, and said, “No, thanks.” He fell quiet then, only half listening to the chorus of objections arise over the comms. Part of Lance’s brain scolded him for brushing off his friends like this. He knew his continued silence was making them worry; hell, Keith had just offered to play I-spy. Keith. Mister “shut up, Lance, there’s literally only stars around us right now”. But playing the game meant the leading questions, and those questions led to more questions, and Lance’s emotions were a quiznacking mess and there was no way he could even begin to answer everyone’s questions. 

 

The objections subsided, and Keith sighed. “Okay, well, uh, if you change your mind…” He trailed off, clearly unsure of how to proceed. Lance grunted again. And then there was silence. 

 

Lance relaxed, only then realizing how tightly he was gripping his controls. He winced and flexed his hands. Ow. He heaved a sigh, flopping back against his chair. This whole debacle was a mess. Lance knew it, but he had not the faintest idea of how to fix it. Sure, he could talk to Allura, but what would he say? Hey, Allura, sorry for buying you a ring? He wasn’t sorry, not really. He just...wished the whole marriage thing wasn’t associated with such a gift. 

 

Right?

 

A brilliant flash of light painted Red’s interior, bringing a yelp to Lance’s lips. He twisted in his seat, blinking away the swirls of light dancing in his vision. Kosmo bounded up to him, his thick tail swishing back and forth with eagerness. “Kosmo?” Lance croaked. The space wolf let out a soft ‘woof’ and jumped up to lick him. His big tongue swiped at Lance’s cheek, and he groaned and tried to push Kosmo away. “Ugh, thanks, bud.”

 

“He likes you.” 

 

Lance froze, his gaze darting over Kosmo to the hold. Sitting in a heap on the floor, was none other than Shiro. Lance gawked at the sight, looking between Kosmo and Shiro and back again. “You...why.. _.how? _ ” 

 

Shiro lifted a shoulder, a wry grin tugging at his lips. “Kosmo can teleport anything he touches, including people.” There was a hint of amusement coloring his voice. Lance scowled, flopping back into his chair. 

 

“And what, you’re gonna try and make me talk?” 

 

“No,” Shiro said, “Kosmo and I thought you could use some company.” 

 

He scoffed. Clearly this was a ploy. Whether or not Shiro came up with the ploy didn’t matter, he was here and he was trying to get Lance to open up or something. He cast a suspicious glance at the older paladin, his frown deepening at Shiro’s cheery grin. Yep, Shiro was definitely up to something. Lance pet Kosmo absently, turning to glare out into the galaxies whizzing by. Well, regardless, he wasn’t going to crack. 

 

Nope, he was going to sit in resolute silence, no matter how fucking awkward it was. 

 

And boy, was it awkward.

 

Lance couldn’t stand silence. Well, he could when he was by himself. The presence of other people, however, brought out a desperate need for conversation, words, _ something _ . Sure, Lance had experienced his fair share of comfortable silences. But most of those happened during a natural lapse of conversation, or following a tense mission. Comfortable silences didn’t exist when Lance’s heart was hammering and his mind in turmoil over the last time he even saw Shiro. At the campfire. When Pidge yelled at him over the engagement ring…

 

He chomped on his lip. Nope, no, he wasn’t going to talk. Lance peaked over his shoulder at Shiro, who had made himself comfortable on Lance’s bunk. His hair glowed a dark pink under the red hued lights, and he looked rather content, despite the slight air of exhaustion. His chest panged at the realization. Of course Shiro would be wiped out; after being infused with a clone’s body and still nearly dying, Lance figured he’d be exhausted if he were Shiro too. 

 

“You can, uh, take a nap if you want,” Lance blurted. He flushed, refusing to spare Shiro a glance. “Just, uh, you know, make yourself comfy.” 

 

“Thank you, Lance.” Shiro fell quiet, leaving Lance to his own panicked thoughts. He tried to focus on flying, he really did. The monotony of neverending galaxies and flying in a literal straight line for miles on end didn’t really require much focus, though, and his thoughts quickly spiralled to Allura and the ring and his dumbass move of hiding away from it all. 

 

Lance sagged in his seat and groaned. “I’m an idiot,” he said. “A quiznacking idiot.” There was a beat, and Kosmo whined and pushed his head into Lance’s lap. Lance pet him absently, gazing mournfully out into the speckled universe. 

 

“What makes you say that?” 

 

He snorted, twisting to throw Shiro a glare. “You know exactly what I’m talking about. I should never have given Allura the stupid ring, I know!” 

 

Shiro raised a brow. “Oh? Why not?” 

 

“Because now everyone thinks I want to marry her!” Lance threw his hands up as he shouted, earning a look from Kosmo. He grumbled and resumed scratching the wolf behind the ears. Kosmo probably didn’t deserve the scritches, but those doe eyes of his were too much to resist. Footsteps echoed through the cockpit, and a shadow fell over Lance. He looked up to see Shiro standing over him, his expression soft. 

 

“Do you?” he asked. Lance blinked. 

 

“Do I what?”

 

“Do you want to marry her?” 

 

Lance gulped. Marry? Allura? He stared ahead, grappling with the idea. Sure, he always joked about finding Mrs. Blue Lion, or whatever, but that’s all it was. A joke. He wasn’t ready for marriage. Not yet, anyway. 

 

For a fleeting moment, Lance allowed himself to picture what his wedding day would look like. Suits and family and tears and…

 

A sudden image of Allura, dressed in white, arm-and-arm with Coran and walking down an aisle rose in his mind. Lance sucked in a breath, a swarm of butterflies infesting his stomach and chest. He tried to shove the image out, and shook his head. “I-I dunno, I’m not ready for marriage. I’m not even nineteen yet!” He let his head fall in his hands, and he shrugged. “I just...don’t know.” 

 

Shiro’s hand draped onto his shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. “That’s okay,” he said. “You don’t have to know right away. But you can’t just run away from how you feel. Life’s too short for that.” Shiro chuckled, though it sounded strained. “Take it from me; running away from your problems solves nothing. You need to take the time to figure out exactly how you feel,  _ and _ you need to talk to Allura. This involves her, too, after all.” 

 

His advice was...pretty good. Lance looked up, offering a small smile. “Thanks, Shiro.” 

 

“Anytime, Lance,” Shiro said. He gave Lance’s shoulder another squeeze. “And if you need to talk…” 

 

Lance waved a hand at him, his smile growing. “Yeah, yeah.” He turned his attention back to flying, feeling just a little bit better. Sure, he still didn’t know what the hell he was going to do, but talking about it actually  _ helped _ . He felt a little lighter, and that was enough. 

 

**~#~#~#~**   


  
  


Allura flopped onto her bunk, exhausted. As far as weird, interdimensional dreams go, the whole Bob experience was both mystifying and draining, and she was relieved to be back in Blue. Half of her was still convinced it was a dream rather than something that actually happened. Reality felt as though it was painted with that dreamlike sheen; everything had a stilted quality to it that just...didn’t seem right. And yet, the dream had been shared by  _ everyone _ . If it was a dream, that was a massive coincidence. 

 

The twisted thought process was enough to split her head, and Allura opted instead to bury her face into her pillow. Ugh. At least she could go to sleep for _ real _ , this time. 

 

“Guys,” Keith said, his voice jolting Allura upright, “I know we’re supposed to go to sleep, but we need to make a pitstop. The lions’ energy is too low, they need a chance to charge.” 

 

Allura glared at the wall. Her hair was down and she’d already changed into her nightgown; she wasn’t in the mood to fly around hoping for a planet to appear. “But, I’ve already changed!” 

 

“Yeah, if we’re going to fly more, don’t expect me to put on my suit,” Pidge said. 

 

Lance huffed. “I’m not washing this face mask off.” His voice was indignant, and Allura couldn’t help the smile that tugged at her lips. She’d seen him in a face mask once; back on the castle, during a sleepless night, Allura had stumbled into him while wandering the halls. She often did that when she couldn’t sleep. She’d nearly walked right into Lance that night. He apologized profusely, despite the whole encounter her fault, and Allura remembered the peculiar white substance caked onto his face. “It’s a face mask,” he said, “it cleans my pores.” He waggled his brows dramatically then, flashing a goofy grin at which she’d rolled her eyes and bid him good night. Allura could picture him now; face mask on and hair pinned back. 

 

There was a groan over the comms. “I don’t care,” Keith said, “fly naked if you want. We still need to stop, so follow my lead.” 

 

There were a few titters, then the com went silent. Allura hauled herself off of her bunk, her delightful, cozy bunk, stuffed her feet into her fuzzy, pink lion slippers, and shuffled over to the pilot seat. She collapsed into it, staring grumpily out into space. 

 

“Wake us up when we land,” Romelle said with a yawn. Allura tossed a glare over her shoulder, but the gentle snores of Coran and Romelle hinted that neither of them were paying any attention, having already run off to the land of dreams. 

 

She let out a huff. “We better land soon,” she grumbled. Hunk yawned loud enough to make her ears ring. 

 

“Yeah, I hope so too, or I’m gonna fall asleep at the wheel. Or, chair. Or whatever.” 

 

“According to my coordinates, there should be a planet not too far from here,” Pidge said. She sounded just as sleepy as the rest of them, and Allura idly hoped she was right. They struck out to the coordinates Pidge rattled off, Keith in the lead. The monotony of space, coupled with Allura’s exhaustion, had her eyes feeling heavy and her head nodding forward. She feared she was going to drift off and accidentally guide Blue into Yellow or something. 

 

“Someone please talk,” Allura said, stifling a yawn. “I fear I may fall asleep otherwise.” 

 

“Well…we could play a game.” Lance’s voice made her heart hammer in her chest, and Allura sat upright. Oh. He answered her. Was he speaking to her again? Allura felt a rush of warmth spread down to her fingers and toes. 

 

“That sounds fun,” she said, breathless. Pidge snorted. 

 

“Yeah, sure, as long as it’s not I-spy.” 

 

“Hey!” Lance cried. “That’s a fun game!” 

 

“Not in space, it’s not.”

 

“Yeah, I’m gonna have to agree with Pidge,” Hunk said, “everything looks the same out here.” 

 

“Ugh, whatever.” Lance sounded indignant, and Allura could picture his scowl. “You guys weren’t saying that a few days ago.” 

 

Keith sighed. “We’re not playing I-spy.”

 

Allura leaned forward in her seat, an idea springing to mind. Occasionally, after a particularly victorious battle, the paladins would play games with each other. One game always caught her interest, and she was eager to have a go at it. “What about ‘truth or dare’?” she said. “I’ve always thought it looked fun when you all played it.” 

 

“How would that work?” Lance asked. “We’re all in different lions.” 

 

A screen flickered to life, and Allura blinked at Pidge’s flat expression. “Uh, we turn on our video feeds,” she said. “Duh.” Pidge reached over and tapped a few buttons, and the screen split to reveal the remaining paladins. Lance grinned sheepishly, shrugging. 

 

“Oops.”

 

It was strange, seeing everyone in various stages of undress. Or, at least, various stages of putting on their nightgear. Pidge’s glasses were nowhere to be found, and she had on a white  tank. Hunk had on his nightshirt, and Lance had on his pajamas and his full face mask, just as Allura had pictured. Keith was the only one still decked out in his paladin armor, though he’d forgone the helmet. 

 

“Okay,” Keith said, “so how do we do this?” 

 

Hunk shrugged. “We pick someone to go first? Maybe eenie-meenie-miney-mo?” 

 

“Or we could do nose goes,” Lance chirped. Allura blinked. 

 

“Nose goes? What is that?” 

 

He leaned forward, his expression eager. “Well, someone says ‘nose goes’! And we all touch our noses. Last person to touch their nose has to pick truth or dare!” 

 

The explanation seemed simple enough. Allura twirled a curl around her finger idly and nodded. “That sounds fair. We should do it that way.” 

 

Lance’s grin slipped off his face, and a faraway look shadowed his expression. Concern bubbled in her gut, and Allura frowned. “Lance, are you alright?” 

 

He flushed, averting his gaze. “Yeah, I’m good.” 

 

There was a beat of awkward silence. Everyone else just sort of sat there and stared, and Allura felt herself shrink under their scrutiny. Embarrassment swaddled her like a blanket. Oh, how she could use a good swig of nunville at the moment. Pidge cupped a hand around her lips and mouthed, ‘the ring!’, pointing. Allura frowned. Ring? She looked to her left hand, which was entangled in her hair. The engagement ring glinted in the low light, and understanding dawned on her. 

 

Oh. She dropped her hand into her lap, her cheeks burning. 

 

“So…” Hunk said, in an attempt to bust through the awkward. “How do we decide who gives the first dare?” 

 

Keith shrugged. “Eenie-meenie-miney-mo?” 

 

The delight that lit Hunk’s face was enough to banish Allura’s embarrassment. “That’s what I said!” 

 

Pidge sighed and dragged a hand over her face. “Okay, fine. Let’s do this, then.” 

 

After a quick round of ‘nose-goes’ and ‘eenie-meenie-miney-mo’, It was determined that Pidge would be the first victim, and that Keith was to ask the penultimate question. He leaned forward, his dark hair gleaming in the purple light. “Truth or dare, Pidge.” 

 

The younger paladin grinned deviously, a glint in her eyes. “Dare.” 

 

“I dare you to lick Kaltenecker.” 

 

Pidge’s face screwed up, and she scowled. “How the heck am I supposed to do that?” 

 

Keith raised a brow. “Kosmo, fetch.” A brilliant light flashed behind him. Lance’s screen was illuminated next, accompanied by a screech from the red paladin. It flashed again, and Kosmo teleported to the green lion, Kaltenecker beside him. Pidge whipped around with a groan, before tossing a glare to the screen. 

 

“Gee, thanks.” She rose from her seat and disappeared, returning a moment later with a look of disgust painting her features. “Remind me to give Kaltenecker a bath,” she muttered. Allura cringed. 

 

Kaltenecker was a nice cow, but the thought of licking her wasn’t pleasant. 

 

“Anyway,” Pidge said. “Lance, truth or dare?”

 

Lance sighed. “Uh...dare.” 

 

A wicked grin split Pidge’s face. “I dare you to eat this week old burrito.” She held it up, the tin foil covered in dimples of green light. Lance reeled back, disgust creasing his features. 

 

“Ew, a week old? Why the heck do you even have that?” 

 

Pidge waved him off. “Take it or leave it, Seranno.” 

 

His shoulders slumped and he sighed again. “Fine.” 

 

The look of glee on Pidge’s face was enough to kindle fear in Allura. She watched in morbid fascination as Lance winced after sniffing the burrito before taking a bite into it. He gagged instantly, spitting it out. “Oh, god, I’m gonna puke.” 

 

“You have to eat it!” Pidge chirped. 

 

Lance attempted another bite, this time managing to swallow it. Despite the face mask, Allura couldn’t help but feel that he was starting to look a little green. With each bite, Lance gagged and groaned, but he managed to down the burrito, despite looking like he was legitimately going to throw up. He glared at the screen, hatred brewing in his ocean blue eyes. “I’m so gonna kill you,” he grumbled. Pidge shrugged, giggling mercilessly. Lance flopped back with a groan.

 

“Truth or dare, mullet.” 

 

And so the game continued. Time passed in a blur of hilarity. Allura laughed until her sides hurt and tears wet her cheeks. She partook in some of the silliest dares; tickling Coran’s nose with a feather, putting Romelle’s finger in a bowl of warm water (it didn’t work), to piercing one of the mice’s ears, with their permission, of course. In short, Allura was having fun. They all were, really. 

 

Hunk thrummed his fingers together, staring into the screen thoughtfully. “Allura, truth or dare?”

 

Allura frowned, considering her options. She usually chose dare, the thrill being difficult to pass up, but she was feeling rather tame this round. With a shrug, she answered, “Truth.” 

 

“Okay. How do you _ really _ feel about Lance?” 

  
  
  
  
  
  



	3. Tell Me How You Feel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Allura comes to a realization, and uncertainty ensues.

“Okay. How do you _ really _ feel about Lance?”

 

_ How do you really feel about Lance?  _

 

_ How do you really feel? _

 

When Allura was in cryosleep, she felt weightless. She was suspended between realities, trapped just beyond the reach of the waking world. Her dreams bled together like the colors of a sunset sky, beautiful and complex and a never ending swirl of emotion. She dreamed of magnificent beasts invented by the depths of her imagination. She dreamed of flying through the sky with wings of gold, the wind combing its tendrils through her hair. She dreamed of a lion, the color of starlight, stepping to her and brushing its muzzle against her forehead. 

 

She dreamed of the love she’d never have. Balls and ballrooms, and princes and nobles. Delicate music played in her ear. A gentle hand rested at her back and guided her along the dancefloor. There was laughter and gentle looks and the imagined princes would sweep her off her feet. She dreamed of passion and romance and kisses that seared on her lips and made her heart burst into flames. 

 

And then she awoke and tumbled into reality, those dreams left in the crevices of her pod, forgotten. 

 

Perhaps that was the allure of Lotor. He was a princely man, an emperor with luscious locks and words of velvet. He enchanted her with tales of Altea of old and a vision for the future, praising her talents as if they were acts worthy of the gods. He had cast a spell on her, and she’d become ensnared in it. 

 

But the spell was broken, now, and she had been left picking up the pieces. Only, she wasn’t alone. She was never alone…

 

_ How do you feel about Lance? _

 

Falling into wakefulness was wrought with terror clawing at her chest and a scream tearing from her lips. It was Lance who, with sturdy arms, caught her and supported her until she could stand on her own, hideous ears aside. Lance was...warm. Around him, Allura didn’t have to try to be  _ anything _ . She had fun with him. His smile made her feel...happy. She loved seeing him smile. Those soft looks he gave her that she caught every now and again had butterflies erupting in her stomach.

 

“This isn’t funny, Hunk,” Lance said. He glared through the screen, his shoulders hunched as he leaned forward. There was a note of pleading in his tone, and Allura thought that if it weren’t for the facemask, he’d be blushing. Hunk snickered, waggling his brows. 

 

“Aw, c’mon, Lance, don’t you wanna know if the princess likes you back?” 

 

Lance scowled. “Hunk!” 

 

Allura’s heart pounded in her chest. Her palms were sweaty, and she feared Lance would try to leap through the screen unless she said something. But what could she say? Their gazes met, and Allura was lost in a riptide of emotions. 

 

Her first impression of Lance was...less than stellar. 

 

“My name’s Lance, and you’re right here in my arms.” 

 

The pick up line was probably the corniest thing Allura had ever heard. Coupled with the goofy blush prior to him speaking, and his ugly ears, she’d originally dismissed his presence as an oversight. A mistake, perhaps. The Blue lion certainly couldn’t have chosen this...this embarrassing human as her paladin, right? It wasn’t until later that she began to really see Lance for who he was. 

 

Early on, they didn’t spend too much time together. Lance was busy flying with Voltron, and Allura, flying the castleship. There was one instance, though, that thawed the ice between them. 

 

“I’ll stay behind and protect the princess!” Lance chirped. His smirk was obnoxious enough to make Allura roll her eyes, and it was most unfortunate when Shiro agreed. And so they were left alone on the bridge, with nothing to do while the team embarked on their mission. 

 

Allura ignored Lance, opting to scroll through some star charts instead. A silence settled between them as she typed and scrolled and read through the various logs and charts of the castle. Everything was ten thousand decapheebs out of date, and Allura and Coran had a lot of information to sort through and update. 

 

“Those stars look like a dog.”

 

She blinked, looking up from her charts. “What?” 

 

Lance gestured out into space at the glittering expanse of stars. “Those stars, there. They make the shape of a dog.” 

 

Allura raised a brow. “Lance, there are thousands of stars. I have no idea what you’re pointing at.” She half expected him to make some sort of cheesy retort, but he didn’t. Instead, his gaze found hers, and he offered a one shouldered shrug. 

 

“Thousands of stars make for thousands of constellations.”

 

She stared at him for a moment. “...yes, I suppose they do.” 

 

“What were some of the constellations like on Altea?” 

 

The question itself was harmless, but the mere mention of her home planet brought an ache to Allura’s chest. Her hands fell away from the screens, and she looked out into the smattering of stars, her mind drifting back to her home. “We had quite a few constellations,” she said. “There was the singing yelmore, easiest to see in the summertime. That was Coran’s favorite.” 

 

Lance chuckled. “That sounds like something he’d like.” 

 

A smile ghosted across her lips. “Yes,” she said. “My favorite was the Northern Juniberries; there was a triad of constellations on good nights that resembled the flowers. I loved them.” Allura grew quiet. Her heart yearned for Altea, and once again she was faced with the realization that everything she’d ever known was gone forever. 

 

“My favorite constellation is Orion.” 

 

Allura jerked her gaze back to Lance, who was gazing out into the universe once more. “Hmm?” 

 

“Orion,” he said, “is a from a myth on Earth. He was some sort of hunter, and we named a constellation after him.” Lance tossed her a sad smile, a major contrast to the loud-mouthed flirtatious boy who’d crooned at her hours earlier. “Back when I was a kid, we’d go stargazing out on the beach. That was the first constellation I ever learned to recognize.” Lance shoved his hands in his pockets, his melancholy demeanor matching her own. “When I went to the Garrison, I’d sneak out to the roof sometimes, and look at the stars, and they’d remind me of home. It...helped with my homesickness.” 

 

Realization dawned on Allura. Immediately, guilt wrapped around her heart and squeezed it, making her wince. Here she was, wallowing in her sorrows, forgetting that her paladins had sacrificed their lives too. 

 

“Earth sounds nice,” she said lamely. He shrugged, though the warmth in his smile made Allura feel infinitely better. 

 

“Maybe you’ll get to see it someday,” he said. 

 

“Maybe so,” she echoed. And here she was, a few years later, hurtling towards Earth with him. They’d changed quite a bit since then. For the better, she thought. Lance wasn’t the goofy flirt he once was. Now, he was a great friend and a genuine soul, kind and loving, who always seemed to know what to say to make her feel better. It was a talent, really. 

 

And she...well. She was no longer just the princess. She was a paladin, a rebel, a leader, a diplomat, an alchemist, and of course,  _ Allura _ . 

 

A realization began to blossom in her mind, then. A realization that perhaps,  _ perhaps _ , she was beginning to fall for Lance. 

 

“This is stupid.” 

 

Allura’s attention snapped back to the present. Lance was arguing with Hunk and even Pidge over Hunk’s truth suggestion. 

 

“This is the game,” Pidge retorted. “Hunk asked Allura a question and now she has to answer. It’s not that big of a deal.”

 

“Yeah!” Hunk said. “Come on Allura, just answer-”

 

“Nope, no, I’m done.” Lance’s face disappeared from the screen in a flash, leaving Allura blinking at the empty space. Her mouth dropped open, but no words spilled from her lips. 

 

Oh. 

 

“Wait, Lance?” Hunk cried. “Quiznack, why’d he leave?” 

 

“Allura?” Keith said. He squinted at her, worry creased onto his features. “Are you okay? You look a little freaked out.” 

 

“I…” She trailed off, her heart thumping. Oh, quiznack, why didn’t she say something? The empty space were Lance’s face had flickered only moments before seemed to dance in her eyes. She thought of the mice and their rendition of his confession and heat spread from her chest to her fingers and toes. 

 

“What?”

 

Allura blinked slowly. “I’m sorry,” she murmured. “I guess I never really put much thought to this.” 

 

Pidge adjusted her glasses, frowning. “Much thought to what? You...you aren’t trying to say you like Lance  _ back _ , are you?” 

 

Allura shook her head, her curls bouncing with vigor. “It’s not that.” She began to fiddle with the ring as if on instinct, the action bringing immediate comfort. “I...I think I may be falling in love with him.” 

 

**~#~#~#~**  


  
  


The shrill beeping of a request for yet another private comm line cut into the silence, for what had to be the fiftieth time in the past varga. Lance slapped the deny button and sweet, blissful silence followed. 

 

Stupid truth or dare. Part of Lance knew the whole situation was, in part, his fault. After all, he was the one with the ‘loverboy’ reputation. Still, that faraway look in Allura’s eyes had twisted his heart in ways he’d never experienced before, and while he already had little hope that she’d ever reciprocate or love him back, it still hurt. 

 

Lance hugged his knees to his chest and stared out into the expanse of space. Surely, they were close to their destination now. And then he could go to sleep and forget tonight ever happened. 

 

Another round of beeping cut through the cockpit. Lance growled. When would they just leave him alone? A burst of frustration lit a flame inside of him, and he lurched forward and accepted the request, glowering at the screen as it blinked to life. “What?” he spat. Hunk smiled back at him, his expression flickering as he winced. 

 

“Hey, Lance!” His voice was a good octave higher than usual, his tone a forced cheerfulness. It was the telltale sign that Hunk was feeling very, very guilty. Lance’s scowl deepened. 

 

“Cut it out, Hunk.” 

 

The fake cheeriness melted off of Hunk, and he slumped in his seat. “I uh...I’m sorry, man.” Hunk sighed, dragging a hand over his face. “It wasn’t fair or nice to tease you like that, especially with dragging Allura into it all.” 

 

Lance blinked. “You’re...apologizing.” 

 

“...yeah?” 

 

“For teasing me.” 

 

Hunk raised a brow, clearly perplexed. “Uh, yeah?” 

 

“You...you’ve never apologized before.” The words sprung unbidden from his lips, catching Lance by surprise just as much as Hunk. Confusion and hurt shadowed Hunk’s features, and he regarded Lance as something new and foreign. 

 

“It never seemed to bother you,” Hunk said. “At least, not like tonight.” 

 

He sighed. Lance probably should have realized Hunk would think that. Then again, they hadn’t really  _ talked _ lately. At least, not like they used to. Back at the Garrison, they bunked together, and would spend endless nights just talking. It didn’t matter the topic; their conversations flowed like the rise and fall of the tide, from downright silly to serious. There wasn’t much time for that, lately. They were always busy. Saving planets, forming Voltron; they hadn’t had a day for just the two of them since...the Garrison. 

 

Lance ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “Sorry about that,” he murmured. “It just...sucked.” He paused. The dam building inside him was trembling, ready to burst. Lance wasn’t used to holding back when it came to his emotions. Sure, sometimes he’d brush sad thoughts away because being sad sucked, but generally Lance wasn’t great at just...keeping things in. He knew he was loud and expressive; it was one of the reasons he did theater in school. Lance peered at Hunk through the screen, his heart thudding in his chest. “I love her,” he blurted. Hunk blinked. 

 

“Wait, what?” 

 

He glared, his face hot.”You heard me,” Lance said. “I’m in love with Allura.” A wave of nerves crashed over him, and Lance found himself looking at the floor of Red’s cockpit, suddenly incapable of looking Hunk in the eye. 

 

“Damn.” 

 

Lance peeked up, met with a slack-jawed Hunk. He leaned closer, his brows furrowed. “I knew you liked her and stuff,” Hunk said. “And when you gave her the ring...I mean...that’s something you’d do to impress a girl, I just…” he trailed off, his expression twisting. “I feel a little stupid right now.” 

 

“Why?” Lance asked. Hunk chuckled, rueful, and shook his head. 

 

“My best friend fell in love and I didn’t even notice. I guess I haven’t been a very good friend lately,” he said quietly. “I’m sorry, Lance.” 

 

An easy shrug rolled off his shoulders. “I forgive you, buddy,” he said. “I wasn’t exactly open about it.” A smile bloomed across his lips, and he dropped his gaze to his hands. “As much as I talked about wanting to find ‘missus Blue lion’, falling in love is actually terrifying.” 

 

Hunk snorted. “Terrifying? What do you mean?” 

 

What was so terrifying about falling in love? Lance leaned back, gazing out at the stars. He didn’t have some wild and tragic past that was responsible for such feelings. Lance’s parents were happy and in love, and Lance got to see an abundance of kisses and soft looks between them growing up. He even watched his brother fall in love, and witnessed the arrivals of his niece and nephew. Lance was no stranger to happy endings. 

 

Yet thinking about the depths of his own feelings for Allura sent spikes of fear lacing through his veins. It felt a little bit like staring into the swirling mass of a dark hole; utterly amazing and horrifically beautiful. An enchanting force of nature, able to destroy anything in its path and unleash terror on those who encountered one. He felt like he was floating on the outskirts of one, just starting to be tugged in. Lance wasn’t sure what scared him more, the potential of being torn limb from limb, or the fact that he  _ wanted _ to dive in head first. He raked a hand through his hair and sucked in a breath. “I mean...when Allura was with Lotor, it hurt. But she seemed so happy, happier than I’ve seen her in awhile. She looked at him like he hung the moon, or something. It hurt, but seeing her so happy I...I sort of accepted it, after awhile. When he betrayed her though…” Lance trailed off, searching for the words. “Watching her hurt like that, it felt as though Lotor had ripped open my chest and tore out  _ my _ heart. I’d do anything to keep her from hurting like that again.” 

 

“Holy quiznack,” Hunk whispered. “That was so... _ deep _ .” 

 

Lance flushed, shrugging. “Yeah, well. I can do that sometimes, I guess.” 

 

“You know…” Hunk paused, something unknown shimmering in his earthy gaze, “you should probably talk to Allura.” His tone wavered with some sort of knowledge that had Lance’s gut twisting. His eyebrows raised on their own accord, and he gave Hunk a look. 

 

“...why are you saying that like you know something I don’t?” 

 

Hunk blinked. “I am not!” 

 

“Yes,” Lance said, “you so are. Also, what do you want me to say? Hey, I’m in love with you!” His hands darted into the air as he rambled, and Lance let out a snort. “No thanks, I’ll do without making her reject me. I rather  _ like _ our friendship, you know.” 

 

All his outburst earned him was a glare and a huff. “Excuse you,” Hunk said, “who said anything about rejection? Besides, I just said you should  _ talk _ to her, not profess your love, or whatever.” Hunk waved his hands about as he spoke, ever emphatic and earnest. Still, there was something _ lingering _ in the way Hunk looked at him that Lance could see, even through the screen. Something that spiked nerves in Lance’s gut. 

 

“That still doesn’t answer my question,” Lance rambled. “What the quiznack would I even say?”

 

Hunk barked a laugh. “Oh, Lance, come on. Just...be honest.” He sighed, his gaze slipping off into the distance. “Look, I get it, you know. Putting your feelings out there...it can be pretty scary. But, if you don’t do anything, if you don’t put yourself out there, how can you expect someone to like you back?”

 

Lance’s breath stuck in his throat. “What do you mean?” 

 

“I  _ mean _ that you never know what can happen unless you go for it.” 

 

Going for it hadn’t really...been an option. Lance’s fears had kept him bound and gagged and incapable of even thinking about such a thing. Besides, after everything with Lotor, and their never-ending journey to Earth, chasing after his feelings was just not an option. He loved Allura, yes, but he had no intentions of hurting her or pushing her into something she didn’t want. Which was why the whole ring debacle freaked him out. That and marriage was something he wasn’t exactly...ready for. Lance sighed. “I’m not just gonna drop that on her,” he said. “Allura’s got enough to deal with, she doesn’t need to deal with a confession from me. I’ll just...apologize and tell her I can return the ring, if she wants.” 

 

Hunk dragged a hand over his face. “Ugh, Lance, come on, trust me, would you? Besides, I doubt she wants to return the ring. She actually seems pretty attached to it.” 

 

Lance blinked. Allura was attached to the ring? “She is? Really?” he asked. 

 

“Well, yeah. She’s still been wearing it, despite the whole ‘engagement’ meaning. You totally noticed, right?” 

 

He sucked in a breath. Oh yeah, he’d noticed. Lance had just figured she’d forgotten or something. After all, if Allura chose to wear the ring on her ring finger like that while knowing what it meant, it could only mean one thing, and Lance wasn’t sure he was ready to even begin to acknowledge that. “N-no, that can’t be right,” he stammered. “She probably just...left it on on accident.” 

 

A sharp bark of laughter echoed in the cockpit. Hunk doubled over, shaking his head. “Oh, man, Lance, you  _ know _ that’s not it.”

 

Lance huffed, his face burning. “But-”

 

“No buts,” Hunk said, waving a finger at the screen. “Besides, I bet seeing her wear it is kind of nice, right?” 

 

He gulped. Nice? It was…

 

_ The traditional thrum of piano music thrummed in the air with a sense of urgency. A long, plush, velvet rug carved its way down the aisle, pooling at the altar and stopping at the grand wooden doors of the church.  _

 

_ As if on cue, the entire congregation rose to their feet and turned. The doors burst open and the procession began. Two-by-two, the bridal party marched down the aisle, splitting at the altar to their respective sides of the church. The piano music picked up the pace, its urgency increasing just as the true spectacle stepped through the door.  _

 

_ Lance felt breathless.  _

 

_ She looked stunning. Wearing a stunning dress in white and a matching, radiant smile, Allura began her trek down the aisle. She glowed, her gaze shimmering with an adoration of the sorts Lance had only seen a handful of times before that made him forget what breathing was.  _

 

“Uh...Lance?” 

 

Lance blinked, shaking himself. “Hmm?” 

 

Hunk peered at him, concern stitched into his expression. “You okay? You kind of spaced out there.” 

 

The image of Allura in a wedding dress drifted across his mind again, and Lance felt his face grow hot. “Y-yeah, I’m fine.” He wrung his hands together, his gaze darting to the stars. “I, uh, I think I’m gonna hit the hay and stuff.” Lance leaned forward, reaching for the ‘end call’ button. 

 

“Wait!” Hunk cried. “Think about what I said, okay? You should talk to Allura.” 

 

Lance hesitated. “Okay,” he said. “I will.” He ended the call then, thoughts of Allura, the ring, and a dream of a wedding swirling in his mind. 

 

**~#~#~#~**  


  
  


It felt like eons before they finally arrived at their pitstop location. Eons of questions and awkwardness and the depths of her revelation thrumming in her mind. She felt as though she was caught in a riptide, being pulled further and further away from reality. Adrift in her own emotions she was, and Allura nearly feared she’d drown. 

 

She stared up into the pale moonlight, trying to breathe. A deep shiver racked her body; the stone she sat on was cold and bare, its chill seeping through her suit and into her bones. Allura sighed. The planet they’d landed on was a cold and desolate place. Even from her vantage point on the rocky hill, she could see nothing but bleached earth cutting into the sky like teeth. It was highly unlikely that there was any life aside from them here, but Allura supposed she’d seen stranger. 

 

Like the Balmeran, the living planet. There was even a planet that had life forms made of minerals and looked like crystals and other precious gems. 

 

“H-hey.” 

 

Allura jerked her gaze towards the voice, her sights landing on a nervous Lance. He shuffled in place, seeming rather unsure of himself. “Is that seat taken?” he asked, pointing to the rock beside her. A spike of warmth flared in her chest, and Allura uttered a soft chuckle. 

 

“No,” she said, shaking her head. Lance breathed, visibly relaxing. His boots scuffed the stoney ground as he walked, a sound that seemed to echo in the crisp, cool air. He plopped down beside her with the sort of gangly grace that Lance possessed, turning to stare up at the moons. 

 

From what Allura could tell, this planet had three moons. The brightest shone directly overhead, its light bleaching the landscape in an eerie glow. The moon itself was swollen, with a smattering of shadows made from the various divots and pits in its surface. They drew Allura’s gaze in, enticing her to trace patterns along the many shadows and wonder at their origins. She’d only ever seen an asteroid strike a moon once, as a child. She was with her father on a diplomatic mission, and had been hiding away on the bridge, gazing out at the planet from afar. Out of nowhere, an asteroid streaked across the sky and sailed right into the planet’s moon. Terror caught hold of her and she’d ran to her father wailing, thinking the world would end. 

 

Her feelings now weren’t too far off; gazing at Lance, her nerves spiked, and Allura couldn’t help but feel as though they were at the edge of a whirlpool, about to dive into the unknown. The world may not end, but there was a risk of drowning and Allura prayed to the gods of the universe that they’d both be able to float. 

 

“Allura…” Lance’s voice wavered, his nerves ringing through in the crisp air. She turned to him, her heart hammering in her chest. Her thumb grazed the ring on reflex.

 

“Yes?” 

 

He breathed a sigh, hanging his head as though ashamed. “I’m sorry. I feel like I’ve been a total ass.” Lance fell silent, staring hard at the ground at his feet. She felt breathless and unsure of herself. Should she speak? Her tongue refused to work, to reassure him. She was stuck, in a sense; frozen in fear and anticipation of what was to come next. 

 

“I shouldn’t have run off like that.” His gaze met hers, and Allura sucked in a breath. The oceans there were in turmoil, dark and tumultuous. “It was my fault anyway,” he said, “I should never have just... _ given _ you a ring like that. I’m sorry.” 

 

Her fingers fiddled with the ring, twisting it to and fro on her finger. She felt jittery and her heart was pounding in her ears. “What do you mean?” 

 

Lance’s brows furrowed, and he seemed to consider his words. “I guess it was unfair of me to just hand you something like that. The...the ring has a lot of meaning in Earth culture and stuff…” He trailed off with an embarrassed shrug. 

 

“Do you not wish to marry me?” she blurted. Her voice was like an explosion, bursting forth from her suddenly, the aftershock expanding around them in an echo. And then the universe itself came to a grinding halt. 

 

Allura liked to believe she was a contemplative person. That she wasn’t overly impulsive. Sure, some level of impulsiveness came in handy when piloting a war machine, but Allura often believed herself to be someone that, when the situation allowed, thought before reacting. Impulsiveness, after all, had its downsides. 

 

Like now.

 

Realization hit her like a stack of boulders. Allura gaped like a fish out of water. Her skin was aflame and she nearly feared she’d burn. She stared at Lance, her mind utterly blank as she tried to grasp the fact that yes, she really did say that aloud. If only a black hole would open up beneath her feet and swallow her whole. 

 

Lance sputtered. “I-you-uh…” His face was slack, eyes lit in utter terror. He even looked oddly pale, and Allura’s stomach twisted into knots. Was it possible that Lance  _ didn’t _ like her romantically? The mice’s confession floated to her mind, doubt casting shadows over the memory. It had been some time since then… Allura’s chest felt tight. She watched Lance’s expression morph from something akin to horror, to something more like nervousness. He seemed hesitant to meet her gaze, choosing instead to fiddle with his suit. “You...you say that like you  _ want _ to marry me,” he murmured. 

 

“Maybe I do.” 

 

Her face burned hotter, if that was even possible. Allura reached up and touched her lips, shocked at her own bravery. What had gotten into her? And yet, she oddly didn’t regret the admission. Allura felt...giddy. Her mind pitched forward into a mess of thoughts. What would it be like to marry Lance? She risked a glance at him, biting her lip at the sight. His face was beet red, and he was staring open-mouthed as if she’d miraculously grown two heads. 

 

“...you  _ do? _ ” 

 

His utter incredulousness brought laughter to her lips. Allura clasped a hand over her mouth, trying to stifle the stream of giggles trying to burst forth. Perhaps she hadn’t been forward enough previously. Then again, she really only had just realized how she felt. Still, his reaction was endearing, in a way. Allura shook her head, a smile still playing on her lips. “Is that really so hard to believe?” she said. Lance said nothing, choosing instead to continue staring at her. Allura nearly feared she’d somehow broken him. She rose then, awkwardly fiddling with her ring. “Well, it seems that you may need some, erm, time...I will leave you in peace.” Allura moved to leave, stopped by a hand on her wrist. 

 

“Wait!”

 

With a gentle tug, she was twirled around, Lance’s wild gaze meeting hers. The storm there appeared to reach a fever pitch, and a glow of certainty colored the waters. He leaned close, his breath hitching. “A-Allura, I…” 

 

Allura didn’t wait for him to speak. She took the dive into uncertainty and rose onto her toes, pressing a kiss to his lips. Lance went rigid. Allura persisted, though, sliding her arms around his waist and pulling him close. He melted, then. And they floated, lost in the feel of each other’s embrace and the taste of their lips on their tongues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is! Sorry for the wait! ;3


	4. Kiss, Kiss, Fall in Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Allura kissing Lance spirals into something more, and shenanigans ensue.

Lance was used to being tall. He was always one of the taller kids in his classes. For four years in a row, he was _ the _ tallest kid in his elementary class, something he liked to brag about to his mama and papa on the weekends. 

 

In fact, Lance distinctly remembered nights where he would stand against the doorframe to his parents’ bedroom, as his mama scrutinized his height with a magazine in hand, holding it level above his head to get an accurate mark. Lance would stand rim-rod straight, almost breaking a sweat. “Am I taller, am I taller?” he always asked. 

 

His mama would laugh. “Of course, mijito. See?” 

 

Lance whirled around, rearing up on his tiptoes and furrowing his brows as he examined the new notch. Indeed, it was always a little taller than the last. Looking back, Lance often wondered if his mama would fudge the mark just a bit, but at the time, he’d always grin wide and puff his chest. “One day, I’m gonna be bigger than even Luis!” 

 

One of his sisters, usually Veronica, would ruffle his hair with a laugh. “Sure you will,  _ flaquito _ ,” they’d laugh. Lance huffed. 

 

“I will too! You’ll see! I’ll be the tallest person ever, like...a bajillion feet tall!” He waved his arms about for emphasis, garnering more laughs and hair ruffles. He’d pout, cheeks puffed, until mama would call him to dinner. 

 

“Don’t make me repeat myself again, mijito!”

 

To young Lance, being tall was the key to conquering the world. He wanted to be so tall, that he could just reach out and touch the stars. Like his big brother Luis was. Luis was the tallest and oldest, and Lance felt like he wasn’t afraid of anything. He didn’t have to be; he was a giant! Luis even towered over their papa, and even at a young age, Lance could see the respect his big brother garnered. 

 

It wasn’t until Lance’s first time learning how to surf that he began to grasp that being the tallest didn’t make someone fearless. 

 

The day was perfect. Lance remembered the ocean glittered so blue that his eyes hurt just looking at it. Puffy, soft clouds peppered the sky, casting the occasional patch of shade on the warm sand. He hardly noticed the way it burned on the bottoms of his feet, he was so excited. 

 

The beaches back at home didn’t offer the greatest of surfing waves. But when they came to visit Veronica at the Garrison, they’d always stop on the Pacific shorelines, where the surfing was the greatest. And this was the year that Lance was going to learn. 

 

Luis and him paddled out until the people on the beach were nothing more than specks on a thin line of land. Lance remembered gazing out into the horizon, his mouth hanging open at just how  _ expansive _ it was; the waves seemed to swallow the sky. He sat on his board, bobbing amid the waves, just gawking at the sight. 

 

“Look, there’s a great wave coming!” Luis shouted. And indeed there was. It reared towards them, full steam ahead, gaining altitude with every second. Eager, Lance paddled towards it. He paddled closer and closer, pausing once to look up and gauge his distance, only to freeze. What once looked to be a wave now resembled a never-ending wall of water. Lance gawked, his eyes going wide. 

 

“Lance? Lance!” 

 

The wave swallowed him whole. 

 

Lance was used to floating. Even back home, at his own beaches, he’d swim so far out that the shoreline was barely a blip in the horizon, floating along the waves on his back. This, though, was different. For a brief moment, he was spinning head over heels, and then, everything slowed. Lance felt suspended in time, almost; his eyes flew open, and blue surrounded him. There was something eerily beautiful about being underwater; just rippling blue as far as he could see. 

 

He’d scared his family half to death that day, but Lance never forgot how utterly  _ small _ he felt then. It didn’t quite compare to now, though. 

 

Stars twinkled around them endlessly. Lance’s arms felt stiff from holding onto Pidge and Allura so tight. He couldn’t stare at any one thing too long; the nothingness spreading out in all directions made him dizzy, and the weightlessness was disorienting. At times, Lance felt almost as if he had ceased to exist, and it was only the occasional shift from Pidge or quiet murmur from Allura that kept him anchored to reality. 

 

They were lost in space. 

 

Their lions were gone. 

 

Survival...was probably not likely. 

 

The timer went off, shrieking in Lance’s ear. He winced, a scowl tugging at his lips. Sure, Keith’s idea of constant check-ins made perfect sense; being lost amid stars and spiralling deeper into the depths of his own thoughts was sort of terrifying, but the shrill noise was incredibly annoying. 

 

“Keith here.” 

 

“Pidge...Pidge here.” 

 

“Hunk here.” 

 

“Allura here.” 

 

Lance’s heart skipped a beat at her voice. Even tired, her voice was comforting. Lance’s mouth somehow remembered what words were, and he spoke his part of the drill, “Lance here,” but his mind was somewhere else. He was back on that barren planet, Allura’s arms around his waist and her lips pressed against his. 

 

He’d kissed people before, sure. Kissing was fun. There was a gentle intimacy about it; hands in his hair and the whisper of someone’s breath against his skin. He’d kissed lots of people in lots of places. Sometimes he’d even kissed perfect strangers. But no kiss had him feeling the way he felt now. Breathless and exhilarated and as though stuck in a dream all at once. Even his daydreams couldn’t compare to reality. The sensation of Allura nibbling at his bottom lip was  _ electrifying. _ A whine tickled at the back of Lance’s throat, and he tangled his hands in her starlight colored hair. 

 

Heat seared his very soul, emanating from his heart to his fingertips. Despite knowing his feet were anchored against the rocky ground, Lance had felt as though he was floating away in endless space, drifting too close to the sun. Everything was bright and lovely and dreamy, and he sighed. 

 

The rest of the night was spent with shy glances and whispered giggles. It felt good to be speaking to Allura, and it felt even better to feel her lips brush his cheeks and lips and nose. What he would give to go back…

 

Lance turned to Allura, her pink helmet glinting in the starlight. “‘Lura?” 

 

She turned to him, a question brewing in her tired eyes. Lance’s gaze flickered to her hand, where the ring remained, glittering with unspoken promises. His heart twisted in his chest. “If we don’t make it-” 

 

“Lance, please.” Her voice was pleading, and he wondered if she knew what he wanted to say. Still, as much as Lance wanted to believe they’d get out of this situation, there was a big fat chance that they wouldn’t. There was so much he wanted Allura to know, so much he wanted to say; the words crowded on the tip of his tongue, begging to be let free. There was a desperate look in her eyes though, and Lance found himself biting his lip. Instead, he squeezed her arm and leaned close, nearly conking his helmet on her shoulder. 

 

If he was going to die out here in space, at least he’d be beside the keeper of his heart. 

 

Allura stiffened momentarily, before relaxing against him. He heard her sigh, her head resting against his. A spike of regret laced through him, and Lance wished fervently that he could run his hands through her hair and touch her face. 

 

“Rest, Lance,” Allura murmured. He closed his eyes. If they did make it out of this, he’d tell her. For now, though, sleep definitely sounded nice…

 

**~#~#~#~**   


  
  


Earth. 

 

Allura wasn’t sure exactly what she had been expecting when they’d finally arrived, but it certainly wasn’t this. A party, perhaps. As Lance and Hunk had once eagerly explained; a jubilant reunion of their families. Hugs, cries of joy, and the twisting reminder that she was cursed to never feel the warm embrace of her family ever again. 

 

Returning to a captured planet, however, wasn’t part of the plan.

 

Even from the asteroid belt, the devastation was obvious. Allura could almost trace the scarred planet with her fingers, following the trail of fire and death and destruction that crisscrossed the planet’s crust like a web of fresh cuts and scabs. Galran ships lurked within the moon’s orbit, ready to annihilate any intruders. Earth was lost. 

 

Sam’s S-O-S message rang in Allura’s ears as the team fell back, whirling around to hide in the asteroid belt. It remained thrumming deep in her bones as they disembarked, pulsing with trepidation in her heart. She barely registered her boots scuffing against the rock as she walked, her mind whirling with the past few quintents’ previous events. It was on pure impulse that her feet led her to Lance, and her chest squeezed when she caught sight of him. He looked so...lost. 

 

Allura’s gaze wandered to the war-torn planet of Earth, the haunting familiarity snatching her breath away. She reached for Lance, trying to anchor herself to the present, lest she be lost to the past. “I’m so sorry,” she breathed. Lance stirred, then, his hand reaching up to clasp over hers. 

 

“What if...what if we really are too late?” 

 

“We aren’t,” she blurted. “You heard the S-O-S; they’re waiting for us.” 

 

Lance tipped his head, the starlight glinting off his helmet and nearly obscuring her view. She saw the shadow of his lips pressing together in a thin line, doubt stitching into his features. “What if they aren’t?” His voice shook. “What if everyone’s all gone?  _ What if I never get to see my family again? _ ”  

 

Images of her father reared to the forefront of Allura’s mind. She clutched at Lance’s arm, blind, tears pooling down her cheeks. She saw the flames of her broken planet, her heart twisting in righteous fury.  _ “Father, please!” _

 

_ “I love you.” _

 

“Allura?” 

 

Lance was looking at her now, concern glinting in his eyes. His hands clasped her arms, steadying her. She leaned into him and breathed. “S-sorry,” she murmured. “I just-” She stopped and bit her lip. Trembling, Allura reached up and cradled her hand on Lance’s helmet. “I will not stop until I find your family,” she said. Lance blinked, a storm brewing in his ocean eyes. 

 

“It’s not just my family,” he said. Despite the softness of his voice, his words fell upon her like weights. His gaze didn’t waver, and Allura felt breathless as she puzzled out the implications. But the moment was over as quickly as it begun, and Lance’s attention returned to the planet and its destruction. “We have to save Earth.” 

 

Allura plucked his hand from her arm and gave it a determined squeeze. “We will,” she said. “We will.” 

 

**~#~#~#~** _   
_

  
  


It felt like a dream. Any moment now, he’d wake up, and Hunk would laugh at how stupid it was and how everything would be fine, and they’d go home and see their families and everything would be okay. 

 

But it wasn’t okay. There was nothing okay about this. 

 

Lance squinted as he looked up, the sun glittering around the ruined building. Rhubarb and cement crumbled and cracked, lining the busted asphalt streets. A cloud of dust seemed permanently suspended in the air, eliciting coughs from the team. Every so often, Lance caught sight of a motionless arm or foot, and nausea would make his stomach roll. 

 

The Galra were here, and they left nothing but hopelessness in their wake.

 

They’d landed their pod just outside the city, tucked away on a cliff out of view from above. It was safest to walk to the Garrison, Keith had insisted. A pod would easily draw attention, and there was no guarantee that the Garrison forces would recognize them and let them in. 

 

So they walked. 

 

It was slow going, too. There was a chance of danger around every corner, down every alley, behind every mound of rubble. Essentially, Lance and Keith forged ahead, clearing a path, and signalling back for everyone else to follow. 

 

By the time they got into the thick of the dilapidated city, Lance was exhausted. 

 

“We should probably stop soon,” Hunk whisper-yelled. “It’s starting to get dark.” 

 

Pidge bobbed her head in agreement. “Yeah, Hunk’s right. Besides, I don’t think Shiro’s going to make it much farther.” 

 

Shiro glared back, his face drawn into a frown. “I’m fine,” he said. Despite his insistence, he teetered a bit in place, weariness etched onto his features. Pidge was right; Shiro looked like he could only manage a few more steps before collapsing. And by the looks of things, he wasn’t alone. Romelle appeared to be asleep standing, as did Coran, and the rest of the team’s faces were lined with exhaustion. 

 

Keith frowned, his brows furrowing as he looked ahead. “I’d rather get to the Garrison, this place isn’t safe.” 

 

“If we don’t rest, we’ll be little help to the Garrison.” Allura shifted in place, refusing to look at Keith. “We can take turns keeping watch,” she said. Keith glanced back at the team, and Lance almost feared he’d refuse, but his expression softened and he sighed. 

 

“Okay. Let’s find someplace, then.” He jerked his head to Lance, and they forged ahead. The shadows were long and ominous, a stark reminder of how little time they had to find safe lodging. 

 

Lance risked a glance upwards, feeling a little dizzy beneath the jungle of skyscrapers looming overhead. The sky seemed so far away from down here; the stars that were once so close were just teeny tiny pinpricks of light. His chest felt tight, and Lance was overwhelmed with a need to get closer to the night sky. “We should get to higher ground,” he blurted. Keith jerked his head back, raising a brow. 

 

“Why?” 

 

“W-well…” 

 

A flood of reasons crowded his tongue. He needed to breathe. To get away from the fire and destruction of his home. To see the stars again. 

 

“If we’re higher up, it’s easier to guard against attack,” he found himself saying. “Get up into one of these skyscrapers, and there’s only one way in. And if we’re found…” Lance gestured at Kosmo. “ _ We _ have a way out fast.” 

 

Keith’s frown deepened. “I don’t know if Kosmo can teleport us all at once. But,” he paused, glancing up. “That is a pretty good idea. Let’s move upward.” 

 

It took the better part of an hour to scout out a good building to use. By the time the team was settled, dusk was long past. They were holed up on the third floor of some former office building. Most of the team was settled in the confines of a large office; Keith and Hunk had barricaded the door with a huge filing cabinet. The plan was to wake Kosmo whenever they wanted to switch watches, and the space wolf would teleport each person in and out of their hiding hole. 

 

A perfect plan, really. 

 

Lance tipped his head back against the wall and sighed. He was first watch. His hands loosely clasped his bayard, still in its mid ranged rifle form. No one was getting close if he could help it. 

 

A brilliant flash lit up the space, and Lance yelped, flopping onto his side. He whipped his bayard up, ready to fire, his finger hovering over the trigger, when--

 

“Lance?” 

 

He blinked. “A-Allura? What are you doing?” He lowered his gun and scrambled to a sitting position. “You’re supposed to be sleeping.” 

 

Allura flopped down beside him with a shrug. “Sleep is hard to come by, it seems.” 

 

Lance couldn’t argue with that. Despite how leaden his limbs felt and how muddled his mind was, sleep held no appeal. His skin crawled with anticipation and worry, and Lance knew if he’d try to go to sleep now, he’d be tossing and turning until Kosmo was nudging him awake. So he offered Allura a small smile. “Understandable.”

 

Silence lapsed as they stared out into the night. Night watches were difficult at times; staring too hard into the inky blackness could mess with one’s mind. It took a bit for Lance’s eyes to even adjust to the dark, and even then, staring at one spot for too long brought made up constructs and hidden monsters that weren’t actually there. The trick was to keep shifting focus, and not stare too hard at any one thing. 

 

He found his focus circling back to Allura. It always did. She was a light in the darkness; even now, her starry colored hair seemed to almost glow in the low light. Lance found himself leaning closer, so that their shoulders were brushing. The sensation was electric. He felt almost dizzy from the contact. Lance’s gaze darted to Allura, and he admired her profile. Soft moonlight carved her outline, and he could make out the curve of her nose and lips. 

 

Allura turned, shadows playing across her features. Lance sucked in a breath. They were close enough that he could feel her breath tickle his cheek. Those starry eyes of her were alight with emotions as complex as constellations, both of this world and hers. She tilted her head and leaned in closer, and Lance thought that he might explode. Somewhere, in the faraway depths of his mind, he remembered he was supposed to be keeping watch, but his bayard was loose in his hands and his eyes drifted closed. 

 

She took his breath away. 

 

Heat seared his very soul, emanating from his heart to his fingertips. Her lips were soft, and slid against his own in a rhythm all their own. Lance reached a hand up and grazed his fingers across her jaw, sliding his hand into her soft curls. He felt like he could burst into a million pieces and float amid the stars. 

 

Allura’s hands skid across his breastplate and up to his shoulders, where she tugged him closer. For a brief moment, Lance wished they weren’t wearing armor and hiding under dusty office desks, but then Allura nibbled his lip and he let out a moan and all thoughts of where they were vanished from his mind. It was just him and her and the undercurrent of unspoken emotions brewing to the surface with every passing heartbeat. 

 

They parted, panting. “Wow,” Lance breathed. Allura bit her lip, a smile warming her features. 

 

“Sorry,” she murmured, “I believe I distracted you from your duties.” There was a coyness in her tone that had Lance’s heart thumping. He bit his lip and rested his forehead against hers, drowning in the swirling galaxies of her gaze. 

 

“S’okay. I like being distracted.” 

 

Allura hummed, a devious glint in her eyes. “Oh?” The way the shadows played along her features, coupled with her hooded eyes and coy smile, had Lance’s heart nearly beating out of his chest. He answered her by closing the distance and pressing his lips against hers once again. 

 

Lance was vaguely aware of Allura’s hand sliding up to the back of his neck, where she absently traced patterns on his skin and toyed with his hair. The sensation sent goosebumps blooming up and down his arms, and he giggled into the kiss. “That tickles,” he murmured. Allura pulled back, grinning. 

 

“Sorry.” Though, gauging by her expression, she wasn’t entirely sorry. Not that it mattered; Lance couldn’t find it in him to be mad. Instead, he bit back a wave of giggles and buried his face into the crook of her neck. She smelled nice, like flowers, though Lance couldn’t quite gauge what type of flower the scent reminded him of. He breathed a sigh. 

 

“Allura?” 

 

“Hmm?” she said. 

 

Lance peered up at her. His breath caught in his throat, and all of a sudden, his feelings rolled through him like a tidal wave. He feared if he didn’t speak now, he’d drown. Lance swallowed. His fingers traced across her armor absently as he tried to find the words to say. “I...I know this is probably way too soon to say this, but with everything that’s happening, I just...I need you to know…” He trailed off, ducking bashfully. His face was hot, and Land drew back a bit so he could breathe. 

 

Allura’s hand clasped his own, and Lance found himself meeting her gaze. There was a soft expression there, and she gave with a gentle nudge. “Know what?” she asked, her voice quiet. 

 

“I love you.” 

 

The words left him in a blaze, and Lance was left sitting in the vacuum of Allura’s gaze. He was drifting, lost amid the swirling galaxies of her irises. That single moment felt like an eternity, and the spell was only broken when Allura’s lips crashed onto his own. 

 

The kiss was desperate and sloppy, and oh so beautiful. Allura was practically straddling him, her hands in his hair, on his chestplate, on his sides. Her touch lit a fire inside him, and Lance couldn’t get enough. Her lips were sweet, her tongue sweeter. Lance sighed into the kiss, his fingers tangling in her knotted hair. 

 

It was only the need for air that drove them apart, and Allura opted to cuddle up to him, resting her head in the crook of his neck. He absently pet at her hair, marvelling at how soft it felt. Despite being pulled up into her typical messy bun, there were lots of little curls that were free of the up-do, and Lance twirled them through his fingers. He could play with her hair all day long. Allura breathed, relaxing against his touch. “I think I love you too,” she murmured, her voice thick. Lance stiffened, but she hardly seemed to notice; she was nearly asleep against him. 

 

Face burning, Lance resumed petting her hair and staring off into the night, heart thumping wildly in his chest. 

 

She thought she loved him. 

 

Allura, in love with  _ him _ . 

 

A million questions burned on his tongue, but Allura’s breathing had evened out; she was asleep. He couldn’t wake her. Instead, he chewed his lip and gazed into the shadows, his mind ablaze. 

 

He was in love with Allura, and she loved him back. 

 

Lance peered down at the sleeping princess, his chest squeezing as he caught sight of the ring. She did seem pretty attached to the thing; he couldn’t remember a time it wasn’t there on her finger. He could only see a faint gleam in the low light, the barest hint of a promise. A shiver ran down his spine. That image of Allura in a wedding dress, a veil obscuring her features, floated to the forefront of his mind once again…

 

_ Coran, in a dapper suit, arm-in-arm with Allura as she trapaised down the aisle. White tulle and ruffles rustled against the polished wooden floor, and pink petals littered everywhere. The crowd was hushed as they watched, awed. Lance could feel his heart pounding in his chest, his breath ripped away at the very sight of her… _

 

A brilliant flash of light interrupted the vision, and Lance threw an arm up over his face with a yelp. Allura stirred in her sleep, burying her head further into the crook of his neck. Lance squinted into the night, spots dancing in his vision. He could hear the tell-tale pant of Kosmo, and he dropped his arm, relieved. Whew. 

 

Pidge stumbled up to him, her form cast in shadows and obscured by the spots still dancing in his eyes. “Lance?” 

 

He grunted and nudged Allura. 

 

“Hmm?” 

 

“It’s time for bed,” he murmured. Allura blinked blearily up at him, fighting back a yawn. His lips twitched into a smile, and Lance bit back a chuckle. He helped Allura to her feet and pointedly avoided Pidge’s baffled gaze, choosing instead to shuffle over to Kosmo and teleport away. 

 

The last thing he saw was Pidge’s slack-jawed expression before they disappeared in another flash of light. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW AN UPDATE?!?! I know I'm horribly sorry D: Work + leaks = exhaustion and lack of inspiration. BUT I finally got over this chapter's hump, so have a new chapter before the impending finale! <3


	5. Explosive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which they embark on a suicide mission, and miracles ensue.

Everyone was looking at her. 

 

Allura was used to looks. She was the Princess of Altea, after all. No matter where she went on Altea, people looked. They were curious, she supposed. She was their hope, their future. She was the enigmatic princess, a diplomat in training. Her mother always tried to keep her prim and proper because of the attention; “Head high, Allura,” she said. “Shoulders back, stand straight. And for the love of juniberries, try not to step on your skirts.” 

 

Her father would always laugh at this. “Melanor, let her be. She’s still a child.” 

 

And Allura would huff, indignant. She remembered grabbing fistfulls of her skirts and sauntering through the halls, throwing glares over her shoulder at her father. “I am _ not _ a child!” she grumbled. Her parents would chortle, amused, and the castle servants always cast soft smiles at her young, unbridled determination. 

 

This was different. 

 

These stares weren’t filled with the same awes of her people. These stares were curious, sometimes hostile. And they were always accompanied by the whispers. 

 

Allura was certain the people had no idea she could hear them. Those hushed tones echoing the halls. The way people huddled, their gazes wandering her way, only to skirt back once they met hers. She shrank back, trying to hide amid the paladins. Of course Allura was aware she’d garner some attention. As the surviving princess of old Altea, founder of the coalition, and paladin of the blue lion, she was aware she’d arouse some curiosity. 

 

She supposed it didn’t help that she was a literal alien. 

 

Lance had explained about the whole ‘aliens are new’ concept to her. How the various Earthen governments had kept the knowledge under wraps, and how the paladins themselves hadn’t realized that aliens like herself existed until Shiro crash landed back at the Garrison. Still, it was unusual, and Allura was unused to how children and adults alike pointed at her marks and her ears. 

 

Her hand squeezed Lance’s, and she found herself pressing closer to his side. 

 

“You okay?” he asked, his voice a soft murmur. Allura hesitated. 

 

“They’re all...staring,” she said. Lance frowned, his face creasing as he tossed a glance over his shoulder. He freed his hand from her grasp and wound his arm around her shoulders, pulling her in close. Allura’s heart hammered in her chest, her cheeks warming from the proximity. His touch, though it had butterflies fluttering like mad in her stomach, was like a security blanket. Allura sighed, leaning into him. 

 

“I guess they’re just in awe of you,” he said. His lips were pulled into a smile, and Allura thought she saw a twinkle in his eyes. “You are a princess, after all.” 

 

Allura scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Perhaps, but you know that isn’t what I mean.” She peeked over his arm, worrying her lip with her teeth. “Some of them don’t seem very friendly.” 

 

Lance’s grip tightened, pulling her closer. “Well, they can buzz off then.” 

 

“Hey, lovebirds, come on!” Pidge’s voice echoed in the hall, her scowl diminished by the amusement lighting her features. “We have to get back to the meeting. Hurry up!” She whirled around and hurried down the corridor, catching up to Hunk and Keith ahead of them, her boots clicking against the floor. Lance scoffed, and Allura stifled a giggle at his eye roll. 

 

“Meetings, meetings, meetings,” he grumbled. 

 

Ever since they arrived at the Garrison, they’ve been locked away in a stuffy boardroom, going over everything they’ve seen up until now, as well as battle strategies for defeating Sendak and his forces. It was a lot of politics and arguing, and the very thought of walking back into the room made Allura want to drop and curl into a ball on the floor. She hooked an arm around Lance’s waste. “I know, I hate this too,” she murmured. “I wish you people weren’t so...stubborn.” 

 

Lance snorted. “You and me both.” He turned and pressed a fleeting kiss to her forehead, just below her tiara. As brief as it was, Allura still felt breathless, as if her knees would just give out if Lance’s arm wasn’t braced on her shoulders. She felt weightless, like she’d float free of this atmosphere and out among the stars if Lance let her. 

 

His grip was firm, though; reassuring. Allura didn’t ever want him to let go. 

 

“You know,” he said, his breath tickling her ear, “you should meet my family sometime. Maybe for dinner?” 

 

Allura’s breath hitched. She forced out an awkward laugh. “Haven’t I already met your sister?” Her mind went to the image of the fierce woman with short, dark hair and piercing eyes behind wide rimmed glasses, thrusting her hand in front of Allura as per human custom. 

 

Lance shot her a look. “Veronica doesn’t count.” He looked away, his face growing pink. “I want you to erm, meet  _ everyone _ . Officially.” 

 

_ Everyone _ . 

 

Her mind’s eye brought the image of Lance leaping out of their car with a shout to the forefront. Allura’s head whipped around, her gaze locked on his back as he ran into the arms of what seemed to be an entire  _ crowd _ . 

 

_ “Tío Lance!” _

 

_ “Mama! Papa!”  _

 

_ “Lance!” _

 

Allura smiled, despite how her heart squeezed. He’d never get to meet her family… Nevertheless, a spark of excitement jolted through her. “I’d love to, Lance,” she said. “I’d love to.” 

 

Lance’s face lit up, and Allura felt those butterflies pick up the frenzy in her stomach. Oh, what she would do to keep him smiling like that…

 

_**~#~#~#~** _   


  
  


**_Ten..._ **

 

_ “I just came by to say…”  _

 

Lance thumbed the controls, his limbs shaking. Sweat dripped into his eyes and his fingers twitched, but he resisted the urge to tear off his helmet and swipe it away. Time was now a valuable resource; every miniscule second that ticked by precious, like metaphysical flecks of gold, slipping right through their grasp. Hell, they barely had the time to break past Earth’s atmosphere with this stupid robobeast-turned-bomb, let alone chuck it out into the Milkyway and escape to safety. 

 

There  _ was _ no escape, this time. 

 

**_Nine…_ **

 

“Come on, give it all you’ve got!” 

 

Keith’s voice pounded in his ears to the tune of his heartbeat. Lance growled, slamming at Red’s controls, willing her forward. His focus was solely on the mission, on his lion. Nothing else mattered. Each breath, each pulse, and their bond thrummed in harmony under his skin. 

 

**_Eight..._ **

 

“We’re not going to make it!” 

 

“Yes we will, just a little bit farther…”

 

“We have to get out of Earth’s radius!” 

 

“Just keep going!”

 

**_Seven…_ **

 

The chatter in his ear was nothing more than a buzz. He could feel, somewhere amidst the adrenaline and focused haze, the all consuming terror of what was to come. Lance bit his lip hard enough to taste blood, trying to not think about it. There was so much more to focus on, like the sensation of punching Red’s controls, or his team’s desperate cries in his ear, or the determined hum of Red herself, deep in his bones. 

 

“Lance?” 

 

Allura’s voice was like a flood of warmth, and Lance felt his heart skitter in his chest. “I’m here, princess,” he said. “We’ve got this.” 

 

Four other voices chimed in over the comms; “Yeah!” 

 

**_Six…_ **

 

Finally, the last shudders of Earth’s atmosphere gave away, and they were truly into space. With a collective chout, every single paladin hit their lions’ thrusters, propelling them out into the galaxy at full speed. Lance’s heart was in his throat; there was nothing but him, Red, and the stars blanketed out before him. 

 

**_Five…_ **

 

He thought of his mama. A tear sprung loose, sliding down his cheek. “I love you, mama,” he whispered, too low for the others to hear. Lance remembered her beaming smile when she first pulled him into her arms after four years in space. Her face was wet with tears and her hug had been the most comforting thing in the world. 

 

He hoped she didn’t miss him too much. 

 

**_Four…_ **

 

There was a moment where Lance nearly forgot himself. He almost forgot the impending doom leering over them all, the shadow of their destruction obscuring everything in its wake. For a brief moment, this was just another mission. Just another time to follow orders and rely on instinct alone; no thoughts, no feelings, just actions and reactions. 

 

And then he heard the fear in his team, his friends, and felt the shudder of the robobeast draped across his lion, and a wrench yanked at his gut and he remembered it all. 

 

**_Three…_ **

 

Red’s bond was like fire in his veins; potent and live and oh so hot. Sure, Red had let him in, but they’d never been close. Not like now. Lance tried to ignore the regret brimming in his heart. If only they had bonded like this sooner. If he had known that  _ this _ was what it felt like… It was almost too much. His skin crawled with an energy unlike one Lance had felt before. Everything was bright and hot and vivid. The reds around him seemed to glow. Red’s rumble drowned everything else out, and for the first time ever, Lance felt at home in her pilot chair. 

 

**_Two…_ **

 

Despite the haze of the mission, a bubble of regret burst through to the surface.  _ Allura _ . His chest hurt at the realization that he’d never get to see her in white, arm in arm with Coran… He thought of the ring on her finger, of the promise it represented, and swore to himself that if by some goddamn miracle, they made it out of this alive, he’d keep that promise. 

 

_ “...stay safe out there.”  _

 

_ “You too, Allura.”  _

 

**_One…_ **

 

Lance took a breath. And the universe exploded. 

 

His breath was torn from his chest as the impact slammed him backwards, into the pilot chair. Everything was bathed in a blinding white light; it burned his eyes. Lance tried to scream, but nothing came. Red bounced about, everything was flashing, and there was absolutely nothing he could do. 

 

He couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t move, he couldn’t fly. He was trapped in a tin can and being tossed about like a plaything. 

 

They were spinning and spinning and spinning and spinning. Lance’s stomach lurched, and he nearly got sick. By the time the universe righted itself, he realized Red was offline, and no amount of prodding, punching or screaming would bring her back. She was fizzled out, sailing for somewhere, and Lance was forced along for the ride. He breathed once. Twice. His chest hurt, and he almost felt as though they were still spinning. 

 

“Allura,” he croaked, and everything around him shuddered. He reached out pawing at the controls. “C’mon, girl,” he pleaded. His voice cracked as he spoke. “Please.” There was a flicker, a faint wisp of a flame murmuring in his chest, but it was snuffed the moment it flared to life. 

 

Lance glanced out the windshield, gaze unfocused, and he could see the swath of tan rearing towards them. Was it Earth? Everything jolted, and Lance was tossed back into his seat. He had time to suck in another breath, and scream Allura’s name before everything went dark. 

 

_ “Allura!”  _

 

_**~#~#~#~** _   


  
  


“Lance? There you are.” Luis’s voice was warm, and Lance jerked to meet his gaze. His brother, relaxed, was leaning with ease against the doorframe, his tux jacket nowhere to be found and his vest unbuttoned. His hair, which earlier was styled with so much gel just to keep it in place, it had appeared crusty, was now mussed. Lance guessed he knew how that happened, and his gaze slid briefly over Luis’s head and back into the ballroom, to the swirl of white amid the laughter.  

 

“Oh, hey, man,” he laughed, “running away from the bride already?” 

 

Luis rolled his eyes. “Oh,  _ flaquito _ ,” he muttered. His voice was playful, but Lance still scoffed at the nickname. He let his back thump against the brick wall, and fixed a half-hearted glare out into the night. The venue’s gardens were quiet, save for the typical noises of the local fauna; the churrup of crickets and occasional twang of a bird. Quite the contrast to the thumping music inside. 

 

There was a rustle, and Lance blinked when Luis sat beside him on the bench. “How come you’re out here? I figured you’d be showing off your dance moves,” Luis joked. Lance shrugged. 

 

“I just wanted some fresh air.” 

 

This was true, in some regard. Despite the joyous atmosphere, everything was just a bit too stuffy for Lance’s tastes. He wanted a chance to breathe, and his feet had led him out the doors and into the night. 

 

“I can’t believe you’re married,” he blurted. Luis snorted a laugh. He ruffled Lance’s hair, much to Lance’s disdain, and stared off into the garden, a smitten look crossing his features. That same smitten look Lance had grown quite accustomed to in the passing years. 

 

“Yeah…” 

 

Lance fidgeted in place. So much was changing, so fast. He snuck a glance at his brother, and the words left his lips, “How did you know?” 

 

Luis tilted his head, giving him a puzzled look. “How did I know what?” 

 

Face burning, Lance fixed his stare on the ground.  _ Stupid mouth _ , he thought. He had a habit of talking first and thinking later, and it had certainly landed him in pickles before. Lance struggled to find the words, to explain the weird cocktail of emotions brewing in his gut. “I-I mean…” He trailed off, flailing for answers. What exactly, did he mean? Lance didn’t know. He just knew he saw so many changes, and felt oh so afraid. He glared at his polished shoes and wished fervently the ground would open up and swallow him whole. 

 

A hand clasped his shoulder, and Lance dared to meet his brother’s gaze. Luis smiled, his brown eyes glowing with warmth and bemusement. “You’ll get it one day,” he said. “Even if life has to hit you over the head with it.” 

 

Lance snorted. “Yeah, okay.” 

 

“Come on, let’s get back inside. I need to kick your ass on the dancefloor.” 

 

He laughed and gave Luis a shove. “As if!” Lance followed Luis, the warmth of the ballroom tickling his skin. He tossed one last look over his shoulder, his brows furrowing as his brother’s words danced in his mind. 

 

_ You’ll get it one day… _

 

_ A peal of laughter rang in his ears. Warmth rose in his cheeks, but Lance was laughing too. Small hands clasped his own, their fingers slender and smooth against his own calloused palms. Eyes with stars glinted with such affection, Lance thought he might swoon. His breath caught when her lips grazed his cheek.  _

 

_ “Lance…” _

 

_**~#~#~#~** _   


  
  


The first thing Allura registered was just how painfully  _ bright _ everything was. She screwed up her face, blinking. Her head pounded; it felt as though someone was nailing spikes into her skull. She groaned, twisting and grumbling at the sheets that caught her legs. Allura pawed at said sheets, pausing to squint at the bright fabric. They weren’t silken, like her bedsheets. Allura struggled to sit up, rubbing her eyes in an attempt to adjust to the light. Where…? 

 

Allura glanced about her. The walls were bright, almost blinding. Light poured into the space from a single window, which, given how the curtains were billowing about, was wide open. The space was otherwise very simple; tile floor, a few chairs, a door leading to what Allura hoped was a bathroom, and a monitor with a bunch of wires hooked up to her arms. A bolt of panic lit in her stomach. This wasn’t the castle. So where exactly was she?  

 

A glance down revealed a shirt with a jolting and hideous shade of orange, and that sparked recognition in Allura’s muddled mind. The Garrison. Of course. She let her head drop back onto the pillow with a sigh. Her mind was still a maelstrom of fuzz and pain, but at least she was somewhere safe. Allura tried to think. How exactly did she end up in the Garrison’s med bay, anyway? Her memories were nothing but static, and she grumbled in frustration. 

 

She turned, her gaze landing on a little bedside table. On the table rested a gorgeous bouquet of flowers; Allura had no idea what the kind was, but they vaguely resembled juniberries and the realization alone was enough to bring tears to her eyes. Next to the flowers was a little handmade card, with a stick figure drawn onto it. Based on the scribble of blue crayon and the brown, unruly hair, it reminded Allura of Lance. She grinned, her chest feeling warm. Oh, Lance, of course he’d draw her a card. 

 

_ Oh, Lance _ . 

 

Allura bolted upright, gasping.  _ Lance!  _ The fog in her mind cleared, and the mission came roaring back to the forefront of her thoughts. The robobeast, the explosion. Oh, quiznack, was Lance alright? 

 

“Allura! You’re awake!” 

 

Before Allura could protest, gentle hands were on her shoulders, pushing her back down onto the bed. Romelle’s beaming face appeared in her line of vision. “Relax, you’re safe now.” Her words did little to soothe Allura, and in her frantic haste, she batted Romelle’s hands away. 

 

“Where’s Lance?” 

 

Romelle sat back and blinked. “Huh?” 

 

“Lance!” Allura snapped. “Where is he? Is he alright?” She attempted once more to claw her way out of the covers, huffing when Romelle snatched her wrists and forced her to still. 

 

“Allura, please,” Romelle said. “You’re still very hurt, and need to take it easy.” She sighed, shaking her head. “If it’ll help calm you, Lance is  _ fine _ . I promise. Okay?” 

 

She breathed in. And out. “You promise?” 

 

Romelle’s shoulders fell, and she heaved a sigh. “Yes, I promise.”  

 

_ Breathe in, breathe out. _ Allura’s gaze shifted to the card and flowers. The knots in her chest loosened, and she felt herself relax ever so slightly. Lance was okay. She was okay. They were okay, alive, still here. Allura’s lips twitched, and she found herself smiling. She scrubbed at her face with her hand, biting back a laugh. 

 

“Sorry, I just-” Allura paused. She blinked. Ever so haltingly, Allura raised her hand, blocking out the overhead lights as she stared. It was her left hand. Her fingers were the same; long and slender, with callouses she still wasn’t quite used to. But...something was missing. Allura’s eyes widened. Her ring!

 

Her gaze snapped to Romelle, who wore a questioning expression. “My ring!” Allura gasped. “Where is it?” 

 

Romelle tilted her head. “Huh?” Recognition flickered in her eyes, and her mouth dropped into a little ‘oh’. “Oh! Yeah! Coran has it. They took it off for their medical procedure-thingies.” She waved her hand as she spoke, uttering a soft laugh. “Humans have some pretty simplistic medical practices.” 

 

At this, Allura couldn’t help but snort. “Indeed, they do. The paladins were very... _ alarmed _ when they first learned of the healing pods.” It was true. The very first time they ever had to use one was when Lance got blown up during the castle’s invasion; he was horribly wounded, and Allura and Coran had ushered everyone to the pods. 

 

She remembered the rest of the paladins’ apprehension like it was yesterday. 

 

“So...that’s supposed to heal him?” Pidge said. Her head was tilted to the side, her brows furrowed and a frown tugging at her lips. “I thought those were the things you guys were sleeping in…”

 

“They are!” Coran chirped. He pat the side of the waiting pod, his moustache twitching as he grinned. “These puppies perform a wide range of functions; they track a person’s vital signs and can slow or freeze bodily functions, cryogenically freezing you, or they can help speed up the healing process!”  

 

“Uh huh…” Hunk tapped his chin, peering at the pod. “So you say...how do we know these are compatible with people?” 

 

Keith rolled his eyes, groaning. “There’s no time to argue about this! Let’s just get Lance in there, already, before he dies or something!” 

 

Twelve vargas later, and Lance was as good as new. 

 

If only they had the pods now. Allura sighed. How annoying. She closed her eyes, stifling a yawn. “Mmh, well please tell Coran to swing by and return my ring,” she murmured. Allura felt a warm pat on her leg, and she cracked an eye open to see Romelle standing. 

 

“Of course! I’ll let you get some rest, now.” 

 

Romelle turned on her heels, practically skipping out of the room. Allura forced herself to breathe. In, and out. In, and out. She waited, peering towards the doorway. One dobash. And then two. And then three and four and five. Still, she was alone. 

 

_ Good _ . 

 

Allura sucked in a breath, and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. The movement sent the world tilting around her. She bit her lip and squeezed her eyes shut. Quiznack, her head hurt. 

 

_ Breathe in, breathe out _ . 

 

She opened her eyes, steeling herself. One little push, and her toes touched the ground. Allura hissed. The tile was cold. She grit her teeth. Her heart hammered in her chest, her palms sweat, and her head was pounding relentlessly. Still, Allura was determined. She pushed herself off the bed, pausing to catch her breath. Everything spun around her, and she had to squeeze her eyes shut, lest she hurl. Allura reached for the i.v. pole and clung to it with a death grip. 

 

“Okay, I’ve got this,” she said. One foot in front of the other. One at a time, and Allura was slowly shuffling towards her door. Almost there…

 

It felt like eons by the time she reached it. Allura leaned her head against the cool surface, letting out a sigh. Ugh. She was sore and dizzy and oh so tired. Perhaps she should just get back to bed… Allura cast a glance over her shoulder. Her gaze landed on the little card at her bedside, and her heart squeezed in her chest. No. 

 

She had to do this. 

 

Allura yanked the door open, her face set with determination. She poked her head out into the hall, her muscles tense. Luckily, the hall was empty. Allura felt the tension melt from her, and she sagged against the doorframe. Thank the stars. She leaned against the i.v. pole for support, shuffling forward. 

 

Now, which way?

 

Her brow furrowed, and Allura closed her eyes. 

 

_ Lance _ …

 

There was a tug. Allura turned, eyes still closed, and shuffled in the direction her heart led her. The dizziness was reduced thanks to the blissful darkness, but Allura still felt as though the world was tilting around her. Her legs trembled beneath her, threatening to buckle and collapse. It took all her willpower to remain upright. 

 

_ Just one more step _ , she told herself.  _ Just one more _ . 

 

When Allura opened her eyes, she was nearly to the end of the hall. Her heart hammered in her chest. Almost there. 

 

“...patients. Just check their vitals.” 

 

Her heart leaped to her throat. Footsteps accompanied the voices, growing louder by the tick. Allura whipped her head around, panicking. Where was his room? Where was it? Her breath caught in her throat and she lurched forward, tripping on her own two feet. Allura squeaked, arms flailing as she tried to steady herself. She stumbled into a door, splaying her palms against the smooth surface. Allura gulped. Her gaze slid up to the window. Inside, she could just make out the bed. There was someone in it, someone sleeping. Her brows furrowed. 

 

Someone familiar. 

 

Allura gasped. 

 

_ “Lance!”  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI I'M NOT DEAD HERE HAVE AN UPDATE

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so like...I have no explanation for this lol. Blame everyone on the allurance discord, this is their fault. XD


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